Thanksgiving in Joshua Tree

This year I opped out of the family festivities and did Thanksgiving with Apple Jacks' side of the "family" (aka. his friends). For the past 18 years a group of people who went to college in Arizona have been coming out to J-Tree, as it's fondly called, to celibrate Thanksgiving with their substitute family. Most of them couldn't fly home for the four day holiday so they'd drove to Joshua Tree National Park to climb and eat.

It was a great trip. Some of the group came out on Sunday, Apple Jacks and I came out on Tues night while most showed up Wed. There were about 20 people who camped and about 2/3 of them climbed. The rest socialized and hiked. Everyone was really friendly and positive. You could tell the "old timers" were happy to have some new blood but that never pulled away from the fact they were really there to see their old friends. As some stated, "Most of these people I only get to see once a year. That's here so I take advantiage of that."



The climbing was sharp but I must admit I feel like I've been come a stronger climber in just those 5 short days. For those of you who aren't "up" on climbing terms I'll do a brief run down. Climbs are rated from 5.2 to 5.13. 2 is easy, like walking up a really steap hill, and 13 is like over hanging cliff that is smooth like butter. Some climbs have an added a, b, c, d rateing.

Here I am on a face climb that was a 5.10

Okay, the whole reason for that blurp is to brag. The first day we started with some easy climbs of 5.7 and 5.8, but we ended on a kick as crack. It's just what it sounds like, a crack going vertically up a rock face. At some points the crack was an inch and half wide, others it had a half centimeter lip. It was a 5.10d and I did it. It wasn't graceful or pretty but with some help and encouraging words I did it and I'm still proud of it.

Here's Jen on a different crack climb. This was a 5.9

Over all it was a good trip. I think all there had a good time. Thanksgiving was good, fried turky and stuffing and salad and potatos and sweet potatos. It was all great food.

The spread!

This is me at the top of Driving Limitations a fun 5.7

Hair

I went and got my hair dyed... I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. I've been dark before... but this is a little red for me... we'll see. It's just hair right.

Las Vegas

This weekend I was in Las Vegas for a horse show. I did not stay any where near "the strip" and never left "campus" as we called the horse show and hotel facility. Anyway, the show went well. I rode constantly well. I won my speed class on Saturday and for anyone who knows me they'll know speed is not my problem.

Anyway, the thing that I notices most about being in LV was the people. It is the hubbub of middle class America. Being in California 90% of the time I see a lot of Californians. We are not fat people. Maybe 1 out of every 20 Californians are slightly obese. In Vegas I understand the grotesqueness of America. I saw more fat people and fat kids than i thought were out there. People who's fat over flowed over the slot chairs. People who's whole bodies waddled back and forth as they walked 'cause they couldn't bend their knees. It was amazing. No, it was appalling. I just... eww... i just don't really understand how you can get that way. How you can no longer see your toes let alone your crotch. Do those men even know if they have penises any more? It's disturbing.

The worst part is I wasn't even in the center of it all. I was at the out skirts. I'm not sure if that meant i got more morbidly obese because they wanted cheaper rooms, or less. I'm not sure if standing at the elevator bays of the MGM Grand that you'd wonder if those five people could fit in one elevator. I was recently in Vegas is April, on the strip, and i remember seeing fat people, but this weekend gave me a new level of understanding of the largeness of the United States.

Happy Halloween

This year I took a different path. I didn't do any glitter, just blood! It was fun.

Violet was a pea and Abbie enjoyed trick-0-treating and letting everyone know she was a fairy princess NOT an angel or butterfly.

Oh My God, who let the vampire hold the baby!

Tasha's Visit

I know I'm a week late for this post but I've been busy. The next posts will put it into perspective.
Anyway, Tasha was here, we shopped, drank, got massaged, sailed, and hung out. She sent me some pictures:

check them out

The ending

I'm not sure why I picked that title but hopfully by the time you reach the ending of this post you'll have some sort of understanding. Ms. T came out to sunny california for a visit. We haven't seen eachother for over a year. If you look back on my blog and her blog you'll see that we've both changed a fair amount in that year. Change is good, healthy, & normal. We both lead lives that are not only drastically different than eachother's lives but also from the life we shared in college.
Having not seen Ms. T for so long I wanted to make sure we had a good time, did everything she wanted to do, enjoy eachother and give her a view and possible an understanding of my life. I'd worked hard over the past few weeks looking up craft shops, bars, spas, ect for our activities. I recruited friends to join us and apple jacks to participate, taking us out on his sailboat to watch the blue angels. after all of that planning... its done. Ms. T is on a plane home. I'm back to small children and mailing packages. Part of me is happy to have some time too myself (all of 36 hours). Another part is exhausted and wants to go to bed. yet, there is still a part of me that feels empty. dispite some drama and stress that started off the trip the end of it all feels heavy and anticlimactic. I want to be wrapped in a big warm hug... I want hot coco with marshmallows... I want to sit and read and knit... I want to wallow in this heavy blanket of self pitty, doubt, lonlyness, emptyness, and anticlimactic drama. But I won't. It is the end of Ms. T's visit but there are 6000 things I have to do. Teachers to sub for, kids to tutor, people to see, legs to wax, toes to paint, stuff to pack and wash before NY on Wed. An end always make the beginning of something else... right. I just want something Obama, that's the name of my Drama Llama, free.

My House

Okay, so I've been remodeling my house, well my parents and my house. I've been avoiding going down to it for several reasons, time, time, time. That and I wanted to see a CHANGE not a slow progression. So tonight I stopped by. Last time I was there, walls were up and the roof had just been put on, no skylights, no windows, no doors.
Tonight, I stopped by. Now, I don't have children, but seeing this house is like watching a child grow up. I'm seeing it become, go beyond my expectations. I walk through, looking at the closet, looking at the skylights, the sliding doors, the bathtubs, and I'm proud. I'm excited. I can't wait until the next step is done! I can't wait to see the Sheetrock go up, the floor go down, the kitchen cabinets go in. See it grow and change into everything I imagined it to be.
For anyone who's an artist, who's poured their heart, tears, anger, (and parents' blood sweat and tears) into something to see it become everything you've hopped. I'm so excited! No Pictures! Not until it looks like a house and no longer a construction site!

Class

I've spent my first day back in a classroom. I was lucky it was only a half day of kindergarten class of 15 kids. It let me ease in. I have a few more days books to sub already. Back into the swing of things I guess. Schools back in and summer is gone. I now no longer tutor kids in the ease of mid morning, I now have kids from 3:30pm until 8pm three days a week. For most this is not a long day, but were talking about me here. I still have one other job to fill in those 6 working hours, it's going well, and i time suck of a hobby. I'm not bitching here, I'm just writing.... the season is changing and busy is back. And it's hopefully going to be less of train wreck then Britney.
Ah well, the day went well. My voice is horse, my back aches and it's all a good feeling again. The information about kids that sits in my head that I don't use that comes out when I'm in front of kids amazes me. I'm glad I've still got it. I'm glad there is a small part of me that misses it. I'm glad I didn't apply to jobs this year. I think that would have burnt me out. So hopefully it will be a good year not too full of subbing but just enough to keep me busy.... busier.

Violet Urban

NEWS!!!

Lots has happened.
Apple Jacks and I have been dating a year! Who'd a Thunk. We had one of the best anniversaries I've ever had. He took me to a great dinner and surprised me with tickets to the one and only Silversun Pickups! He even bought them early (having to sign up on a radio website) so they wouldn't sell out!!! Thank You Babe!
We Urbans welcome Violet to the world. That's right, my sister-in-law, Amy, popped and the baby. This one was born when she was due and not three days late and three pounds heavier like Abbie.
I went to a track event and it was wonderfully uneventful! I've realised I can't make my car go any faster without putting more money into it. Ugh, too many expensive hobbies.
I went to Iowa and came back. I saw Emily and Steve. Meet their dog Rudra. I saw a lot of corn and sadly no glow bugs, but all my back east friends say that's good, 'cause I'd only see them if it was humid.
I think that's it... but the first two are big, not to under cut the last two.

Phantom Spires

Here's a long shot of the Phantom Spires. They're rather impressive. The drive there, well lets say it was a challenge for a manual Audi with a 3 inch clearance. Yeah, I don't want to see what the bottom of my car looks like, but it was good climbing!

Here I am on one of the climbs. My left foot is up by my butt on this big knob (chicken head). This rough was fondly renamed by our group as, Fuck That Chicken Head.

Here is the exhausted after effect of that big move I did. Love the rock and it might just love you.

Menlo

The Menlo Horse Show is rated that #1 horse show in Northern California. It's the only show in NorCal on grass. Jumps are sponsored, prizes are sponsored, and most importantly you get prizes to 3rd. 1st could be anything from a Tiffany's Box to a silver tray, 2nd is jellybeans, and 3rd is horse cookies.

Here is Stella and I doing the 4'6" A/O Jumpers. These were some of the biggest I've ever jumped (maybe not this one but it is a good picture). The last jump of my class on Sunday was easily 5ft. I couldn't see over it when I was walking.
Here's Matt and I with the garb I won't for being the best out of my division. A chair, some ribbons, a gift certificate to a horse website, and a framed Hermes scarf.

Blackfish Lodge Family Fishing Trip Photos

http://picasaweb.google.com/UrbanPA/BlackfishLodgeFamilyFishingTrip

Jury duty

It's 9:00am on a Tuesday morning and here I am, sitting waiting for jury duty to start with almost 80 other people here. There are big people, skinny old people who look like they don't have teeth. Young trendy people. Two priests. Three men in ties. And half a dozen or so asleep, with their heads balanced on the wall or their chest.
The florescent lights penetrate the air. The noise of throat clearing, pages, turning and the vending machine air compressor humming. The droning feeling makes my eyes heavy, my thought light.
There is a women, in periwinkle blue, that sits across from me. He butt is squeeze into those jeans that are an unnatural denim blue, tapering at the ankles to show her black socks and white running shoes, though she obviously doesn't run. Her upper thighs spill over the edge of the chair. Her loosely fitted shirt shows her bulges above and below her bra. The short sleeves show her upper arm fat cascading over her elbow.
Her hair is mousey with hints of gray.

Pebble Week 1

Yes, I have mentioned Pebble Beach as horse show a few times already, but I'm back for two weeks. Week 1 went well, other than the day Apple Jacks came to watch. For some reason he has yet to see me ride as well as I'd been riding the days before... is he bad luck, brings a bad vibe to my horse shows... hmmm, I'm guessing Menlo might truly test that. Anyways, here's my first day, with a relaxed Stella jumping the dog fence which was meant to be 4'6" but wasn't quite. Oh well.
This is me getting second in the $10,000 4ft Derby. I'm totally excited about it because the guy who won (he was the only other person in the jump off {that's the part that "counts"} with two horses but he had 5 horses in the whole class, meaning only 2 of those 5 made it to the jump off) did it on his world cup, 5' jumps, horse. Hmmm... So yeah, I'm a) not a professional b) not jumping 5' c) and I only had 1 horse in the class and I got second. Hells Yeah! Now I just have to bring it next week.

Asbestos

I am not talking about the chemical, I'm talking about the cat. My family's cat. She died today at the ripe old age of 21. She was a great cat, I wanted to name her pussy, but luckily my wiser older brothers stopped me. We actually thought she died before. She had been missing for several days and we found a tuft of orange fur in the back yard. We assumed she was attacked by a coyote and buried the remaining fur and skin. A few days later in limped Asbestos. "The Cat Came Back" song had never been to true, or more played after that day. Her meow was also never the same.
She's been banished to the attic for 14 years (my mom became allergic when we came back from Switzerland) and has made it her happy home. At one point she weighed over 20 lb, her belly almost dragging on the ground, but once we stopped giving her mixing bowls of food she lost weight. She would drool when you pet her and would purr whenever she was around you. She is a great cat and will be dearly missed.

The 80's Revisited

That's right we were sporting leg warmers, side pony tails and sckrunchies!

Mmmmm, wine coolers (they taste like juice and are really cheep... but not very strong). Can you get more 80s. Oh and blue eye shadow.

Growing Up

This week has been a week of self reflection. Last Friday, a friend of mine asked me if I'd had my quarter life crises yet. Then on Monday night, jokingly, another friend of mine asked me, "What are your long terms goals?" Having both those questions be put to me during a weekend of a big wedding and my parents 40th anniversary, it made me think about me, and who I am, and what I want from myself.
As people always say, I want to become a better person. This is more then just feeding the homeless and saving puppies. I want to be more complete (roughly the idea of my tatoo). The people around me have always added to my completeness. Now wait, I did not say that they MAKE me complete that's totally different. The people around me show me things that make me better. Hold up a mirror and say, "hey, look, you do it too" or "do you know how that came across?" And I think that's what true family and friends are for.
It's been a mirror looking week. And what have a seen? I've seen someone who wants to be flexible and understanding, but tends to be just as stuck in her ways the same way as any other 26 year old.
I've been working too hard, as of late, to "help" the people around me, to make them better people, that I haven't looked at myself. I've also forgotten that I'm looking at my friends though the glasses of what I want, not necessarily what is best for them or who they are. I want to be a more understanding person, but I have to remember that I want to be more understanding of my friends, too, not just strangers.
It's not easy growing up and getting more set in your ways. When you're little, you want to absorb everything you can, but when you reach mid 20's you're a full sponge and it's much harder to ring a little bit of water out to make room for something new then it is to just shed it away.

Silversun pickups Rusted wheel

This is my favorite song!

Wedding # 2 in '07

Here I am walking down isle in my sage green dress. We practiaced serval times.

Standing still, in some UGLY pink shose but I'm standing still, that's hard for me.

Ah, a wedding. The bride in white, tears rolling down her cheeks and the groom paying careful attention.

Ah, aren't we a sage bunch! Yeah, that's right, I was the bridesmaid at the end.

The new happy couple, Lindsay and Matt Archer!

A pass on

Just so everyone knows (all 5 people that read this), my sister-in-law has started posting on her blog again. Reaching the third trimester of her pregnancy, she has found a bit of energy to post. I wanted to encourage you to go read it.

Birthdays

So Apple Jacks had his birthday yesterday. He's not even older than me... meaning we're back to being 7 years apart and no longer 6. Anyway, he's about as into birthdays as he was into every other holiday that's passed. He pushed me away for Thanksgiving and sulked around for Christmas and made little effort for Valentines Day (though that one is almost understandable 'cause it is only 6 days before my birthday). To give him some holiday credit he did try on my birthday. And now it's his turn. "I don't deserve anything." "Don't get my anything." "You know I'm just going to be disappointed with whatever you get me." Ah, do we all love the faith, optimism, and over all cheer!
So yesterday, after a good 15 min of him shaking the gift and guessing multiple climbing and motorcycle things he thought might be inside, he pensively took off the ribbon (no paper, I didn't want to go over board) and peeled back the tape. As the few seconds of recognition go by and he realizes what it is, he smiles. He looks at me with an open jaw and corners turned up and says "You shouldn't have." He pulls out the Chrome mess anger bag, red and gray to match his motorcycle suit. "I was trying these on the other day, how'd you know?"
I didn't know, I just remembered that back in December he mentioned that he REALLY liked them and was hemming and hawing about getting one.
That's right Mr. Apple Jacks, I do know you and though the gift isn't perfect (we're not sure if the size is right yet) it still hit the nail on the head!

My House

I once lived in this little house. I had a roommate with two cats. I had a car port where my Audi could sleep at night. The kitchen once looked like this:

But no longer... now it's more like this:

Yes, over to the left was the kitchen... or I guess is the kitchen because that's where it is going back.

No, I don't live in Kansas. This destruction is volentary. This is all part of the remodel. Well, this too:

This was the window wall to the master bedroom... but that's getting bigger so that's been removed.

Fun, fun I know, but at least now we have a building permit. Yes, we stared demo before we had permision from the county to build... it's time saving right?

Time

I'm a time person. My clock in my car is 5 min fast. I can probably count the times I've been late to ANYTHING the past couple months on one hand. If I am ever late I call. I have this one family I tutor for and there are times she is late and she always calls a good 5-10 min before our scheduled time, tells me where she is, and about how much longer until she's home with her kids. If my trainers are going to be late for a lesson they always call me about 15-30 min before my lesson to tell me how late. I have no issue with being late. It happens, traffic, lost track of time, something you're doing took longer than you though, you were folding underwear and just wanted to get it done. I understand, it's normal, but it's rude not to communicate your tardiness to the people who are waiting for you. It implies that your time is more valuable than others, that your time is so much more important that you can't call them so they can do their own valuable things with their own time. It's just rude, inconsiderate, and selfish.

My Job

So I don't often bitch about my job. It's a great job. I have no issues going to the store and picking out tomatos. I have no issues hunting down the top of a BBQ or making dinner reservations. Nothing I DO for my job bugs me. It's daily bullshit and if I get paid to do it fine with me. But today is wine moving day. Movers are coming to take a 7' x 5' x 3' wine fridge up to Napa. Inside this wine fridge is a couple hundred bottels of wine. No worries, I got wine boxes from every local liquer store that was willing to give them (F YOU BevMo). Yesterday, my boss says, "Hey, so I'll call you tonight and let you know when they are coming to get the fridge so we can start packing wine." 10:30pm last night... no call. Okay, I'll keep the phone near me and she'll call me in the morning. 8:30am I wake up... no call. Check my "work" e-mail... no messge. Okay, I take a shower get dressed, eat breakfast... call her... no answer... no cell answer. AHHH! I could have gone for a run (in hind sight). I could have slept more (way more likely). But now it's 10am and she calls. "Oh I didn't want to wake you." (As I said how can I really bitch about this job.) Such is life right. As Apple Jacks said... roll with the bunches. Also, "Don't get the Urban... we don't play well with others attitude." No, us Urbans' we don't have that... um no... we are great at team sports like... well badmitin... horseback riding... car racing... tennis... wreseling... wait those aren't team sports... DAMN. Well, we work for others like... let see I have... 1 out of my 20+ second level relitives that works for someone else... Hmmm the others they work for themselves. Well, okay so maybe I should roll with the bunches and do my best to put my Urban differences aside.

My Fancy Phone

I never tought there was such a thing as being too connected when it comes to technology, but i am. my phone is with me almost all the time unless i'm on a horse, on a plane or teaching in a classroom. i also have access to all three of my email accounts... this makes me expect the same from others. I email you I expect a response in 2 hr. I text you... same deal if not a shorter time frame responce. this makes me impashent which makes me "make" those people I communicate with lives difficult... ugh what is convenient for me seems to not be for others!

Jeans vs Shoes

Why is it I will spend a lump sum on shoes but not jeans? I'll wear the jeans about 100 times more than the shoes but $100 on cute shoes, that I put on and love... I'll think once, but never twice. But jeans... I've worn though two pairs of jeans in the past month and I have a third pair on their way out. So now I'm here looking for a pair to replace the pair I love so much that I've had for 5 years... but it's so hard. Fucking jeans!

SSPU

The AMAZING Silversun Pickups! I'm sorry for the V-cast ad, but really Rusted Wheel... one of my FAVORITE songs (though I'm not sure any of these videos give them any justice). They made the Shins look like a garage band. One thing this video doesn't show is their stage presence. He made it feel like they were playing for you. And check out the drumer's symbol like 6 feet in the air. He was mesmerizing to watch. If you have the chance go see them. If you don't love them I'll pay for your f-ing ticket (not really but you know what I mean). And yes, you can ask anyone if the bay who saw both shows. The Shins were a sad state in comparison. Not bad on their own but really... really!

Pebble Beach

So, I wrote this little blog on my fancy cell phone all ready to send it but for some reason the publish button wasn't working so... sadly I'm not writing this while breathing in the freash ocean air and watching the waves crash on the rocks. But this past weekend was the first time in 20 years of showing at Pebble Beach that I went to the beach while I was there. It was nice.
But what was nice was that I won the $5000 Open Jumper Stake. This was a class open to professioal and non professionals like me. Well, yes I won. I didn't will $5000 so don't come asking me for money but I did get a nice chunk that should pay for most of the show. I did beat both my trainers as well as a few other "big" NorCal trainers. I was (and still am) super excited. What a way to start a show year! Well, that and Lindsay and Matt have been kicking my as of late so I guess it's paying off and I'm kicking ass right back!

You Know There are Still Stupid People in the World... but not anymore

Tests found a bunch medications in Anna Nicole Smith's blood, including a sedative called chloral hydrate (used sometime to traqualize horses), benzodiazepines, methadone (which killed her son), Valium, Tylenol, weight-loss drugs (Trim Spa?), vitamin B-12 (suposidly part of an anit-ageing process), over-the-counter anti-flu tablets, antibiotics and human growth hormone(?!?!?!). Dear god, they won't even need to embalm her body... she already did it!

P.S.> yes, a bit heartless, but really who puts all this in their body (plus probably more that is undetectable) and expects to stay alive.

That's right Baby Adorable and Innocent (hehehe)

The X and my mom

Okay, for those of you know have read this blog before you've seen the name Mr. B cross over the screen. Mr. B was my high school sweetheart. We were best friends for a good long while before we technically dated. In this time period Mr. B became a member of my family. Even after we broke up (March or April my Freshman year) (after three months of not talking and him dating another girl, one he had been "talking to" before we broke up.) we were friends. We'd talk about all types of things, but mostly horses. Last spring, after a six year long "friendship", I had reached the final straw with him. He had told my mother about his new girlfriend before me.... well no, it was after that, it was when he moved in with this new girlfriend after only a month, oh yes, and i heard that from my mother as well.

Flash forward to today:
"Hey, mom."
"Hi. I was talking to your/our neighbor and found out her daughter (was my best friend in 4th grade) is engaged."
"Well, good for her. She was with the guy a while right." (ie: PLEASE no pressure!)
"Yes, and she's getting her PhD. Oh, and talking about engagements, I talked to Mr. B, since we are head to LA I thought we could get lunch of something, and he proposed to A over the weekend."
"Oh, really."
"I mean, they've been living together for almost a year."(Oh, and dating about a year... fun fun)

At this point I think... hmmm well if he is going to invite my mom to the wedding... how weird would it be if he didn't invite me? Oh, I bet they'll make some no ex's pact and that's why I wouldn't be invited but my mom would. "We said nothing about ex's parents." But would I want to go anyways? I know my mom would go....
FUCKING WEIRD!!!

Yes, A Bahamas Two

Yes, my sister-in-law set me pictures from the bahamas and they're too cute to not post, so here they are. Abbie's favorite thing to do was wash her feet. Over and Over and Over
This was the coconut we found on the ground a little unripe. It got dropped and cracked. So we worked hard to try to open it all the way.
Tao worked extra har.
But we got it done! To bad it was so unripe
And this is us the the National Park... walking along the path, very slowly... 'cause bugs and lizards are very scary and she didn't want her picture taken.

My Phone

So I have a Nokia 6102, the Nokia flip phone. This is my second one. The first one broke in half at the Oakland airport when I got back from Toronto in July. I use my insurance to replace it for free... oh no wait a $50 deductable. So now, six months later the phone broke, in the same spot, as the first one. So I didn't get insurance this time so I duct taped it together. It has been three months of the duct taped phone and now it has decided to randomly turn off. When it started this is did it like once a day. Now three weeks of this later, it does it five to six times a day, if not more. So fuck you Nokia, I went and bought myself and new FANCY DANCY Treo with Internet and a calender and a whole key board to text message with. Too bad it won't be here till Friday.

I hunt and I killed!

So I searched craigslist, I hunted craigslist, and what did I find? (Ms. T you'll kind of appreciate this) I found Silversun tickets. In the list of TICKETS WANTED I found the 1 ad that had some for sale, and yes I paid too much for them, but I got them! And really, when it comes to me, and I want something, I'll work hard to get them. and I got them! I got them!

Silversun Pickups, Ok Go, and Snow Partol

Yes, I was lucky enough to go to the show. But the band I wanted to see the most was Silversun Pickups. If you don't know them check them out. I love two of their songs, Lazy Eye and Rusted Wheel. Anyway, the bands played in the order listed above... and Apple Jacks and I, being who we are, took our time getting to it. The tickets said 8pm. We got there at around 8:45-9 and guess what?!? We missed band numero uno... that's right, the band that we were really there to see. I cried a little deep down but got over it. Ok Go was, well for lack of a better word, okay. And snow patrol wasn't half bad. Way better than Death Cab for Cutie were but not nearly as good as Damian Rice (who we have tickets to go see again next month). But you know who is also playing next month... ah that's right, Silversun Pickups... how quickly did tickets sell out... 8 min. By 10:10am on Sunday their show was sold out. Fuckers. Oh well... we did get tickets to The Shins.

No Bahamas part 2 Just Life

Okay, so life has been busy. I've had a great V-day dinner with the apple man. I went to a car event at Laguna Seca in Monetary and also had my birthday... whooo hooo 26! I've gone to Tahoe to get some half decent snow. I've gotten the flu. I've been working. There are details of course, there was the best wine I've had... EVER at Paul K where we have V-day dinner. I had on of the worst track driving students EVER! Just didn't seem to listen to what I was saying AT ALL. I got let down by my birthday because I'm no longer 5 the for that day, no matter how much I want in to, the world is not going to stop and bow down to me. And now I'm sick... like I've been this whole month but WAY worse. I'm a whiny bitchy needy girl who's temp is either sky rocketing or plummeting and hacks though the night. It's fun. So on that note I'm going to get my self some tea, but some socks on my feet, grab a coat 'cause it's going to rain and head off to work with small children.

Bahamas Part 1

This is a picture of the most northern and western point of Grand Bahama Island. Our resort was at the tip... past the ghetto with the Wind Dixi where my dad bought food.

This is a view from the road that runs though the ghetto of Grand Bahama... I mean if you're going to have a house with no roof or windows at least you get to see this!

This was the building the two two bedroom suits the eight of us stayed in, Ian, Amy, Abbie, and Oma in one suit. Mom, Dad, Tao and I in the other.

This is the hammock that was outside of the building. It was a really shitty hammock and would sink to the ground in you sat in in but it was really inviting.

Pictures From Jackson Hole a Month Later

This was me hiking up to the top of the Headwall.
This was the view halfway up
Everyone else finishing up the hike to the Headwall
The slow soft ride down.
AJ and I laying in the snow! What a ride!

Wait I got second!

I go and call Ms. M, just to tell her about the second, and thankfully last, week of the show. The second words out of her mouth are, "Congratulations of the second!" uhmmm.... what? "I got second?" I ask, yes that is correct I should know how I place in my classes, but this class, Saturday's class I went fourth or sixth out of sixty plus horses. I wasn't going to sit around for over two hour just to see how I did. And, to be honest, I didn't do GREAT. I made it to the jump off (the round that counts) and had one rail. I was fast, which is normal, not to be cocky, but really one rail with over 60 horses... what's the likely hood that none of those people would go clean as well... well it looked like bigger than I thought. So yeah, i guess that makes this last weekend better than the weekend before. I even rode great on Sunday, so I'm happy with that as well. I've got some time to get rid of the rust that i seemed to have found building up in my riding ability before the next show.

Thurmal Week 1

Okay, the show season has started again. This year we kick it off at a new facility down in Thurmal CA near Palm Springs, about five min. from the old facility. Overall, it was new. Trees still tied up, footing not settled, tents not up. It's like anything new, it needs some time to grow into itself. And I guess in a way I need to grow into my riding at this facility. With that, I'll say at least I get to go back down and prove myself next weekend.

No WHAT Left Behind

Okay, so yeah I'm not really a teacher, but i do spend about a day a week in the classroom and spend three hours a day with kids tutoring. I started teaching when No Child Left Behind was first implemented. I've worked in schools that were taken over by the government because they had failed two years in a row. The children weren't "performing" so they didn't test at level, so the school got less money. Yeah that big giant HUGH that is going through your head makes you wonder... really this is the way to NOT leave children behind. Two years of that and The Man comes in. The Man tries to make things better. Normally, everyone gets fired or quits. They higher new, young, influential, sometimes "working" credentialed teachers. These teachers get paid less. You're thinking why didn't they do that before so the kids could have the money... oh cause you can't. Teachers in CA get tenure after two years. You can't get rid of them. Good, great, bad, ugly, whatever. But The Man can. So now The Man has more money, and the kids get up to date new books. They get tutoring after school 'cause they slipped it into the new young teachers contracts. Here I am getting ready to go sub and listening to our prized leader talk about pushing NCLB even farther. This is why I don't listen to the news.

Board

Yeah I went blue for the "bluest day of the year".

My Wednesday

I'm driving down the main road in Orinda. I had stopped at Starbucks to get my fix before I tutor. I'm chatting on the phone with Ms. E (yeah I drive and talk, that's just how it is. Really I do anything and talk... I'm a talker). I go under the freeway/bart overpass and pass the small row of cars waiting to turn left at the light. Their light is red (silly arrows) and my light is green. I keep tooling along chatting as if I do this everyday... oh wait! I DO do this every day. I'm looking down the road ad I'm already to far along to stop if the light changes (it's still very green) when I hear this wonderful CRACK and feel my car get shoved a bit to the right. I look in my mirror and there is the front end of a 328is BMW with it's nose half way into my lane. I pull over and the BMW follows.


THIS is what I saw when I got out of my car:

Upon closer inspection I noticed a part of the lovely pointless little "thing" that runs along the bottom had been broken off, as well as some paint missing

Oh and these scratches are just beautiful, really add some personality to my car.

Luckily enough I called my insurance and unlike the accident I was in back in October (yes I've been in three in four months) the other parties insurance is claiming fault and I don't have to pay a dime. Sadly I will be without my car for a few weeks.

Jackson Hole

Well, I'm back to the real world. Jackson Hole was great. It was such a lovely vacation. Apple Jacks and I stayed at the Alpine House. It was three blocks from the center of town and a 45 min bus ride from the ski resort.

These are pictures of the room. I should have taken them when we first walked in, not after we unpacked a bit 'cause or shit all over the place doesn't do the room justice.

In the corner was a gas stove that would heat the whole room. It was great!

We didn't watch the TV once. A true vacation!

This was the view from the top of the mountain to the peak across the valley. Apple and I walked into the hut to warm up a bit after I took this picture and in the 10 min we were in there the snow and fog came in and we couldn't see more than 10 feet in front of us, let alone across a valley.

There are more pics to come. My new digital camera didn't like the cold so much and the battery drained really fast, but I bought a disposable one and will put those pictures up as soon as I find the camera and develop it!

Everyone Stop Worrying

This is for my family. Things are fine. New Years was calm and good. Tahoe was beautiful. When we left at 4am the full moon was reflecting off the lake.
I'm in Jackson Hole now, enjoying the slightly icy snow and good company. The place we're staying is right downtown and it's a cold, easy walk to the square. My freak out, which my friends know come and go, passed. All has been well. The snow here is like the snow at home just a bit less icy, cause it doesn't get warm here. We're due for a storm tonight so good snow should be here soon, though I don't know when we're getting snow at home.

Annoyed

Okay, so I'm in one of those moods where a puppy could annoy me. Right now everything is pissing me off... well not everything but most of it. And NO I'M NOT PMSing... not close. Anyway, so I'm at Apple Jacks' house taking care of his dog for the day 'cause he misread his ex's plans and worked today while she was still in Hawaii on vacation. It annoys me. And what really annoys me is that it shouldn't annoy me. Walking his dog and feeding her isn't cramping my style in any way. I didn't have anything better to do really but still... annoyed.
Apple Jacks forgot his ski bag (we're leaving to go to Jackson Hole soon) and needed me to "find" it. Ugh, that was annoying that he forgot it but... find being the operative word... my annoyance doesn't end there.
This boy is a pack rat in ever since of the word but the singers. He keeps everything. He has broken light fixtures, boxes full of year old bills and such under a basket of more bills. If anyone knows me they know I'm organized. I have files color coded. I do detailed book keeping. I know where my shit it. Apple... doesn't. Annoying
"The ski bag is in the storage place." Descriptive... I know... why it didn't jump out at me from... behind the air duct and under a suit case full of god knows what but by the look of the edges sticking out of the seam I'm guessing bills... I don't know... Yes annoying.
Now, Apple Jacks is near and dear to my heart. Nothing he's actually done has any right to annoy me... it just is... and that's annoying all on it's own. Like a downward spiral... the sock on the floor is annoying me but I know it shouldn't be annoying me and than that annoys me and then it causes the PILE of mail on the side board to annoy me... but really what did the mail to do me other than be at least a year old and never move. It keeps going.
So now I'm going to tempt fate... I'm going to drive into the city to see Mr. C. Me... driving in the city... not always a good pair. But I have the direction... I have my book on tape so hopefully this annoyance bug will go away.