!!!!!!Skydiving!!!!!

People talk about doing stuff all the time but it's just talk. Not every one's all talk.

SKYDIVING.

I mean, come on. Why would anyone in their right mind consider jumping out of a plane that had absolutely nothing wrong with it, Right?

To be honest, I'd never gave it that much thought. It had never been an option for me nor did i think it ever would be. I live in a world that every thing's possible, but making it happen is where it becomes impossible.

That was until i met CKrause and EHoffman. *

Impossibilities? Not for these two.

So, SKYDIVING aigh...

Out of nowhere CKrause turns to me one day and tells me that skydiving is on the menu of weekend activities. The invitation was extended for me to join the fun and my initial response was, Ya- right! The convincing/persuasion commenced from this point on. The closest thing to a yes that was given from me was a simple 50/50 shot that I'll go.

I commit.

Trying not to think about what I'm about to actually do, we get to the hangar where all the pros are prepping their gear and chutes. The people in that room were amazing to watch. The stories they must have and the things they must have experienced, wow! Tons of questions flooded my brain such as, how did they become skydivers? How long have they been doing this for a career? Where has it taken them? etc...

The previous jumpers videos are playing on the t.v. You can't help but become completely sucked into watching what's shortly to be your reality.

You release Skydive Ogden from any liability and fork over the dough to then get the party started. Get your harness on, you're fitted, adjusted and prepped. Meanwhile, they pair you up with a Jump Master of appropriate size and then your names are on the board.

Then you wait, chatting it up with your comrades to distract each other and fill the time.

The weather clears to perfect jump conditions. Why am I doing this, goes through your mind a zillion times. Why not seems to always be the answer.

It's GO TIME! The planes propellers rev up releasing a steady roar creating great effect. One by one names are called and your friends disappear into the plane. I hear my name and as I raise my hand I look down to find J.M. Carson already adjusting my straps.

Me: "So, you're my life line then?"

Carson: "Are you excited and ready to rock and roll?"

Me: "Sure, but more like terrified."

Carson: "I can tell. You're tense. Loosen up. You've got me. It's going to be great!"

He takes off around the desk, grabs a water and we head out to the plane. We're in the plane. He adjusts my gear a little and tells me to get out. Back out on the ground he tightens me up and back in we go.

I realize that I'll be the third jumper. There's a solo, then KDelis, and CCripps will go, then me. I'm chatting it up with KDelis as the plane climbs up and over the ridge of the mountains etc. while Carson is singing Edelweiss and drinking his water drooling it all over himself.

The door goes up and the air is cold which feels great. Laughing and banter continues as further adjustments are made to the straps. Carson tells me to lean forward and before I know it I'm sitting in his lap and strapped down so tight that I can hardly move a muscle. I'm all geared up and strapped down. He goes over the jump plan one more time: at the door take the catchers stance and cross arms over chest, he'll rock forwards, back, and then out we go.

13,000 feet. It's go time!

I'm out and we're fall/tumbling! Wind screams all around me.
Chin up, arching back, elbows out and feet to my butt.
Carson adjusts my arms and makes us spin to the left then to the right.
It doesn't feel like falling at all. The rush of air feels amazing like the rush of the ocean as a wave rushes over you. The view is an amazing quilt of colors and so far away. The parachutes deploy and yet there's yet another view. You float and how tranquil it is. The harness becomes a chair as you're released, you hold the guide lines. Pull on the left and you turn left and likewise for right. Pull both and you almost stop descending and hover. Hard right, creates a spin, whoa! Look up and check out your friends! Howdy! I hear the song from Snow White, Whistle while you work being sung over my shoulder and can't help but laugh. Birds eye view, what a way to see the world, soaring so high and free, floating and gliding above everything. So lucky, birds. Carson tells me how to land and we practice, feet out in front, and hands to my hips. Looking up again to watch my friends and give a Wahoo! They're all out and floating. KDelis lands. We land and it was smooth and right onto my feet. Every one's down and hugs are exchanged.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Q: Where's your hidden lion? Is he sleeping? Why not wake him up?

You think that you don't have it in you to even. Tell yourself otherwise and see what can happen if you do. It's worth the trip.

*There are only a few people that I've ever come in contact with that have his kind of energy. Crazy kid! To me it's a rarity, the mentality that any thing's possible only exists in the movies.

I've now met two individuals that live and think this way, CKrause being one and EHoffman being the other.

The World is My Playground.

mmmm turkey

A-pants and i had the opportunity to cook thanksgiving din din for the other ward orphans

cooking one huge bird and all the trimmings were the challenges that came with this opportunity

the house didn't burn down which in my book means we succeeded

good turn out and full tum tums

what more can you ask for

Wicked in Hollywood

at the Pantagas(sp?) if you arrive a few hours prior to a show there is a lottery line that forms
everyone in line enters their name in hopes to win discount tickets to the next performance
we entered our names
when we came back a few hours later to watch them pick the lucky winners we realized that there had been about 200+ people that entered to win
13 drawings were made
two families entered and fortunately two people from each of those families names were drawn, which meant the entire family got in. Wahoo!!!
the last name was drawn and CK was all excited. i was already clapping and yelling for joy for the winner when i felt a nudge and heard that my name was the name called.
what? I won? woot!
two $25.00 tickets were mine to claim
front row and fantastic
what a show, building, cast and fun experience!
i'd see that show a 100 more times if i could.
must see play

Oregon

Portland and Lake Oswego
fantastic public transit
Saturday market
clouds that never stop
the more amazingly interesting people
culture everywhere
amazing music
ocean at your fingertips
what a place
so far it wins the prize for my favorite

the Price is Right and Ellen D.

the Price is Right and Ellen D.
The process is long and interesting
people watching is a blast
lines form and reform
after hours and hours pass you finally get to enter the tiny room that is the set of the Price is Right
if you're in groups you are strategically positioned throughout the room
my "group" the Drew Crew was placed in the front row
the party wasn't started until the music began and to get warm in the freezing room the Drew Crew started dancing like there was no tomorrow.
after a few minutes others caught on and decided they wanted to have fun too and joined the party
inspiration hit and the wave was a must
i ran to one side of the room and as the 300+ audience members became aware of me the followed my lead in doing the wave. Wahoo!
that lasted an entire song and then there was more dancing
the show soon there after began
the announcer came out and instructed us on how things worked
Mr. Drew Carey came out and chatted with the crowd for a while... what an awesome man.
he did a shout out to the Drew Crew and thanked us for our enthusiasm
the perfect contestants were chosen and we were all ecstatic about those who were chosen. they all deserved to be on stage. Go Linda! what a sweetheart.
Linda didn't win but ended up with some fantastic prices.
after the show we were off to the Ellen show for the 6:00pm taping
they told us it would air on December 10th 2007 but it actually aired November 19th 2007 the same day that the Ellen taping did.
what fun! Ellen was a blast nothing but dance party and laughter
backstreet boys were the musical guest and Christina Applegate was the guest.
fun stuff

How well can you really know a cow?

you're in the middle of nowheresville, NV
the sent of poo is in the air
cows mooing in the distance
the sun rises and it's the butt crack of dawn
home cookin breakfast is on the table
check list:
do rag on your head, coveralls over your jeans, jacket over that, work cloves on your hands
feed the cows huge mountains of hay
ride horses
step in poo
wrangle up the cattle
separate the girl caves from the boys
it's time to for your shots!
done with all that now lets go to the mill and make some feed
how many tons do we need to make today?
2 tons and 4 pallets later it's time for lunch
home cookin, did she make bread to go with the stew? yeppers. wahoo!
back to the mill
shovel the grain
make more feed 1 more ton for the day
time to castrate the steers. what? do i have to help? yep! yikes!!!!!
poor cow
feed the bulls
5pm time to eat
what, steak? yes, i do believe I'll have some of that. thank you.
time for bunko with the ladies
treats and prizes
man, I'm tired lets go home
what are we doing tomorrow?
we need to help pour cement for the neighbors
OK, bring it on.


*i went to ruby valley, Nevada with my roomie for U of U fall break and worked her family's ranch and mill for little over a week and that was what our days consisted of. hard work, huge animals, heavy lifting, and tons of fun.

greed

the one day that i actually have any money in my wallet is the day that "sticky fingers" at work strikes again.
i had $100 buck rolled up in a register receipt in my phone case and buried in my drawstring pack and when i went to leave for the day, bam! guess i can't pay that bill today.
i put my stuff on the same hook facing backwards with the straps a certain way everyday i work. when i went back it was moved over, the drawstrings were loose and it was hanging on a different hook completely different than when i left it.
the only thing i can figure is that they obviously needed it a whole lot more then i did to take it. bad karma!
i would have tried to help them out or at least get them started. the thing they didn't know was all they had to do was ask.

What about me...?...

1. Cinnamon is my favorite spice and it makes everything nice.

2. I'm addicted to laughing, make me laugh and we'll be friends. Keep me laughing = BFF.

3. Music is the joy in my life.

4. I've driven through every state on the southern border of the United States.

5. I'm the middle child, only girl, of three.

6. Dogs are more fun than cats.

7. I was born in Arizona.

8. Candles freak me out.

9. Mayonnaise is vile!

10. I'm a hair stylist by trade.

11. I read lips better than I can hear.

12. Awkward moments make me laugh.

13. I do random social experiments for fun, like facing the back of the elevator instead of turning around once I've entered. Why turn around? It really freaks people out.

14. I've lived in Arizona, Texas, and Utah.

15. I won a community photography competition once.

16. Skydiving is my new favorite hobby.

17. Cooking is an art.

18. I'm 5'10".

19. If I start an argument, I'm right, otherwise I won't argue with you.

20. I make up words all the time.

21. I cut my own hair.

22. I'm learning how to play the guitar.

23. One of my nicknames is Windex.

24. I love to play golf.

25. I love to learn new things.

26. Shopping in slow motion is another fun one. (refer to 13)

27. I'm shy.

28. Jackie Chan is Amazing.

29. Washington state is my favorite state so far.

30. I will travel the world.

31. I have cute feet.

32. I hate the word MOIST. yuck!

33. Light is the most incredible thing. It has the power to give you new perspective.

34. I'm a big nerd. I love nerds. Especially those that are unaware that they are.

35. Working with tools is fun. My favorite is the one that takes the bolts off your wheels.

36. My right ear is lower than my left.

37. Running as an exercise is torture in my opinion. I'll only do it if I'm going to be murdered otherwise.

38. I'm terrified of heights.

39. Action movies are my favorite.

40. I've been on the radio.

41. I've been on t.v. twice.

42. I snort when I laugh sometimes.

43. I read the Twilight series and actually liked it.

44. Collecting the most random things is my favorite hobby. Hats, shoes, people, bags, picture frames, and so on, but they have to be abnormal in their specific genre. Nothing typical for this chica!

45. Someone peed on me once.

46. Cowgirldizzle worked as a ranch hand for a week and did everything but brand the poor things. Yep, that means I helped castrate. Yikes! That was gross. We worked the mill to loading and bagged grain by the ton too.

47. Guitar Hero is my favorite game of all time.

48. If I were a super hero the source of my power would be cinnamon.

49. Cooking for friends is the best.

50. My Family Rocks! 

What was I thinking???

Skydiving???!!! wahoo!!!
why not?

the Fight

just the frame of something that once was grand
fight
there's nothing more we can do for you but ease the pain
fight
everywhere else we've found was nothing compared to now and what relief we found it.
fight
we all fill the room with love for you.
fight
we pray for you and bless you to know everything's going to be alright
fight
you're best friend is by your side every second and will be taken good care of we promise you that.
fight
good friends come to visit and the memories fly
fight
dad strums a song on the guitar and your eyes open wide so we can see your baby blues one last time
fight
the grand kids leave but you're not alone
fight
we love you and will miss you
peace
To a man who loved his family and did the best he could by them. Thank you for the good times and memories. You'll be missed.
Bye Grandpa.

People do the darnest things

my brother thought it brilliant to personalize our dogs haircut
Abby the Wonderful now has a Mohawk and looks like a bad ass which is the opposite of her personality
at our family reunion we painted it red and cut chunks out of the hawk to make her look like a dinosaur. it's awesome!
dad thought it was cool when he finally saw the masterpiece but has requested that we return her to her normal beauty ASAP
Heck yes, we took pictures!

What if...

is it ever normal to be driving down the road and see the camper shell from the truck in front of you fly off?
what would you do?
Yikes! one minute it's the same old drive you always take home and the next it's camper shell dodge ball.
Well, what if you were the passenger in that truck?
you're riding along, chatting with your bud and the truck is bouncing over the road and after the truck stops bouncing the camper shell continues. before you know it your swerving to the side of the road and what was once a cover for the bed of the truck is now sailing across the road in front of oncoming traffic.
watch out folks! here comes a huge bump!
y'all retrieve the missing portion of the vehicle and return it to its proper place on the truck. onward with a groovy and exciting adventure to tell at parties but wait, the truck won't start. the battery? out of gas? what could it be? under the hood y'all go to assess the culprit and the camper wasn't the only thing that was bounced out of whack. the battery no longer has it's stabilizing band securing the unit. it's now M.I.A. the connection of the battery to the engine is now almost non-existent. the battery dies. it's now 10pm+ on a Tuesday night and who do you know that could come to the rescue? phone calls are exchanged but wait, the girl who has now finished closing the restaurant of which your truck has recently found itself stranded in its parking lot, is heading to her car. she agrees to jump start the truck and you're on your way home.
good Samaritan's rock!

know thyself

to know ones self is an endless pursuit
to be living is to continuously change by growth and refinement
other than experience i find that i learn most effectively about myself through character and personality study
at the moment I'm reading a book of just that called, Please understand me II, temperament, character, intelligence, by David Keirsey.
it's been fascinating to say the least.
it never ceases to amaze me how true these things tend to be
I'm a rational mastermind INTJ
what are you?

boys and girls

things that i don't understand...

boys that are afraid of girls

OK guys.
i do admit it wasn't until a few yrs ago that i realized that you are human with real feelings.
if you have realized this fact about the opposite gender then things could be a little different.
the fear is unnecessary. afraid of what?

guys that think girls are too independent

what do you expect? females in this day and age are required to be independent in order to survive. it's as simple as that. if we had to wait for the guys to step up to have our needs met we'd starve. with that view on the situation the attitude of, i can do it myself becomes ingrained into our mentality as well as the thought of, if i don't, who will? Survival of the fittest, right? those that are waiting for something spend there life "in line," and what kind of life is that?

i could be taking this entirely the wrong direction, but these are the thoughts that came to mind.

little sleep
early to rise
work
allergy medicine
empty stomach
for most the day i was fine
then as i'm looking around it's like sun spots started to invade my vision blocking only parts of my view
dizziness soon followed
weak
about to fall to the ground i decide to take a break from the run around of work
a little soup and tall glass of sugar later i make my way home to sleep it off
is this pre-migraine fun, i wonder
it's happened a few times before
i haven't figured out what sparks this fire, but i hope that it doesn't happen again.

Transport Publicly

the day starts
after you situate yourself for the day by dressing, collecting the necessities stowing them in your pack, eat and lock the door behind you
your shoes hit the pavement and make there way to the grassy curbside where you wait by a sign for the large public transportation device also known to humans as a bus
time passes
the cross walk chirps, cars stop and resume motion, bicyclers, pedestrians, a dog barks
numerous individuals with their own personal stories enter and leave your line of sight
the thought of what those stories might be enters and leaves your mind
you hear the air from the brakes release
the doors, pass in hand, your on and seated
you're finally situated in the seat and it's time to look up and familiarize yourself with your fellow passengers
the backs of people heads are all you see with a profile here and there
and then there's the bus drivers reflection in his mirror above head
some listen contently to there headsets, others read a book, some talk on phones, but most sit in silence waiting patiently for the turn to pull the cord to signal to stop ahead
the people are from all walks of life
elderly, and young mothers, blind, and handicap, bicyclers, and business people, students and the less fortunate...an occasional conversation competes with the roar of the vehicle's engine
picking up and releasing at almost every available stop
out the window the world is in a hurry as it goes by
"200 South and main street" calls the driver on the overhead speaker
it's time to pull the cord, you do and the bells chimes
thank the driver
your journey has ended
until next time.

Magnet effect

the last place that you want to see people attracted like opposite poled magnets is in a restaurant... am i wrong?
you enter the establishment to order food and the unit that at one point or another can be 2 people are standing in line directly in front of you.
trying to see beyond them to the menu takes focus and blinders
concentrate..."what do i want to eat?"
hmmm... this question is usually quick and easy but when you've got the canoodlers in front of you that can't separate long enough to walk from a to b.. she walks, he stumbles behind trying to avoid a face plant, which would be funny.
i find this question turning into, the chicken or the egg?
good for you honey, you've got yourself a fine catch
now that my appetite is suddenly gone i won't have to spend as much on lunch. thank you.
there really isn't sarcasm in that last sentence. i hate buying food.

Liberation!!!!!

To finally be free of someone
a someone that has held a piece of your heart for so long
you'll aways hope for the best on their behalf
BUT...
no more wonder and concern about their life and troubles
no more holding back from those that you care for and see everyday
no more what if's and did i do the right thing by walking away
too bad for them.
Freedom!!!

Guyver Mac

Sandy mullet and strong physique
Enemies do their worst but prove too weak.

A string, safety pin, gum and thumb tack
Oh so quick you create an attack.

Clever you are when in a bind
You'd escape even if blind.

The world could end if you didn't react
Way to be the Guyver Mac.

day to day

what's my noble task?
days come and go but what does it amount to?
the weeks are almost the same, filled with work, activities, hobbies and people.
just to mix things up i become a hermit of a person, disconnect before it takes my last ounce of energy.
i do have goals but haven't reached most of them yet.
one day they'll become a priority again.
i now have a computer to use. i can mark that off the list.
passport
-use it this yr.
digital camera
build portfolio
etc.
we'll see how it all pans out.

Argh.

why is it that the people that are supposed to love us unconditionally are the ones that seem to hurt us the most?
no matter what you do you'll always care about what they think. their opinion matters even if everyone elses in the world doesn't.
argh.

things that make me go, huh?.

what does age really mean to you?
the number of completed years that you've been on this earth...
collection of experiences...
wisdom...
that much closer to death...(slightly morbid)
i'm just glad that i'm at where i am, at the age that i am.

water is life

As most of the world strives to do nothing but to serve themselves, i've found great joy in serving others.
the opportunity for me to actually make a difference has been placed at my feet.
a nonprofit humanitarian organization called Care for Cambodia is in need of my help.
funding and building a clean water supply for the remote and severely desolate villiages is the task at hand.
to all those that read this, if you want to help let me know and i'll make sure that even the slightest contribution finds it's proper home.
Water is life.
I aim to save a few.

long time no write.