christmas.....

This is the first Christmas in years that I have really been excited and happy about.  Perhaps because I don't feel broken anymore.  Even though my family is 'fractured', I feel we are the better for it in some roundabout way.......

Anyway, just wanted to take a moment and wish everyone a very merry christmas.  xo

Peace and blessings..... xo

bug off christian mingle

Well it was bound to happen. My email account made it to the spam list and now my inbox is being grenaded with eharmony, match.com and Christian mingle dating sites. Not sure what the universe is trying to say but thank you very little I am doing just fine on my own. ;)

boulder holder :)

Entering my first rockclimbing competition tonight, and.... mildly freaking out......................  The funny thing is that I was told I should clean up the category because I will be in the Master's Division.  Which is a polite way of saying Old  Fart's Division.  Ha.  I don't know if I should be flattered or insulted.... lol.  Doesn't matter anyway, it will be a blast cranking it out.  Just horribly nervous because I have been focusing on endurance climbing routes, and have lost a bit of explosive power required for bouldering and comps in general.  I managed to squeeze in a bouldering session last week.... we shall see what tonight brings....  should be loads of fun and a nice time to hang with other climbers I haven't seen in a long time.  If only I can keep my eyes open until then....  ;) xo

a little bit of narcissism goes a long way for the self esteem

I am sad to admit, but I feel it in my bones on more days than not.... the aches, the pain, the slow recovery time from over- exertion that reminds me that I am getting older.  My pack feels heavier, my reactions perhaps not as quick as I'd like them to be.  But I remind myself that steady wins the race and maybe part of being a more mature firefighter is to not waste energy on the little things.  But still, I don't ever remember being this sore.........

So it's nice to participate again this year in the charity calendar.  On the days I am feeling creaky and low energy, I can look at these pictures of me and think perhaps foolishly I am still 25 yrs old.  ;)  They went with the second photo in the calendar but if you want to see the other guys and gals, click on the above link and for a great cause and fantastic Christmas gift, they are available for purchase.

i'm back!

Phew!  It has been a whirlwind the past few months and I do apologize for being so absent in posting.  I hit the ground running once I returned from Vegas on Oct. 30th meeting the kids on their return from England with their Dad.  We did Halloween on the 31st of course and I was back at work the following day.  Between then and now, it's been non-stop catching up on the homefront, dealing with head lice that my children somehow picked up (nasty gross little buggers and for any of you parents such as myself who didn't want to use chemicals call LiceSquad.  Trust me.  These folks are amazing), a gallbladder attack that laid me out for weeks, my daughter's fourth birthday, and a calendar launch........  and climbing of course.  lol

But first things first.  And one thing at a time!

Vegas!  I have to say apart from childbirth, and moments on the job, my experience climbing in Red Rocks was the most profound and challenging, intimate, and life-changing thing I have ever had in my life.  The unpredictable desert climate, the alpine start, the winds, fatigue, long approach, all these factors humbled me to the core.  And I still can't put into words how I felt.  It was exhilarating, difficult, exhausting, frightening, satisfying and beautiful.  I think the best way to explain is to show you the photos........

I trad seconded the right hand crack in the shadows and suffered from hypothermia.  Multipitch is exhilirating but long, long days.  14-16 hour days.......  Then on a following day smartened up and sport climbed the left face in the sun which was much more comfortable even though it was a tougher grade:

On our "rest" days we climbed single pitch on the red rocks.  So beautiful.  You can get the idea of scale looking at my climbing partner in the photo.

Photo shot between my legs from a hanging belay station.  We're probably about 800 feet up with still lots more to go.  I love seeing the climbers below us moving up gingerly with concentration.

More red rocks.  So prehistoric looking......

Summit!!!

And the climb that started it all...........  left face.  Which is where I fell in love without even trying.