Dine's Daily Disasters

Without words

2009-12-07T17:16:00.002-10:00

I don't know how to write here anymore. Its hard for me to think about putting my experiences into words. I am not precisely sure why that it but i have some ideas. For now i think i have to take a break. Maybe just a few weeks, months, maybe just til the New Year...hopefully no more.

If you are my facebook friend, you'll know what i am up to.

I just feel tired!

I will be back, promise...

Turkey Week Celebrations

2009-11-29T18:20:00.003-10:00

all four devils unite for 15 minutes :)

I'm back and i think this would be the longest post ever so i may have to truncate it into different sections. And i am too tired to write it tonight. Because we drove 16 hours from LA to Boulder and i am beat. All through the night. So this is more of a here-is-whats-to-come post:

1. Red Rocks, Nevada with amazing friends

2. 2nd annual Claremont Turkey Trot with Family

3. Preparing & eating the feast...games and games

4. The Amusing Race

It was an amazing week. So much fun and so filled with laughter, joy, good food, lots of exercise, family and friends...exactly what i needed. So why do i have to go back to work for 2 weeks?

Planning ahead

2009-11-15T15:17:00.004-10:00

Oh i am so close to being done with this semester...hallelujah (is that how you spell that?)

Very very exciting. And my upcoming plans are sweet...if they happen. Ya never know with weather, married to a pilot and life in general. But here is my wish list:

Climbing at red rocks in Vegas over Turkey week
Fun in the sun in LA with family...maybe surf!!??
Hawaii after school is out....surf surf surf
Ski/hut trip here
Mexico surf trip in January
Skiing in Jackson
Ultimate in Hawaii - again
Alaska glacier trip this spring
Skiing and more in South America
Surfing Costa Rica?

Pretty good...eh. You ask when will i work? Mhmm....in between. Work is just something that interrupts life. I'd like to believe my life is a vacation sporadically stopped by workations. Haha!

Bought my ski pass today - yikes - i better go skiing now! Perfect for yet another snowy colorado day! Woke tow a foot of snow. Pretty!

Wish i was rich and could quit work. One can always dream!

A weekend in Paradise

2009-11-13T10:05:00.011-10:00

Oh i am so so so happy and feel so revived after my weekend with my friends and ohana and ultimate and sunshine and love!

I was going to fly for free but the flights ended up filling up and so i purchased a last minute flight there. I did get a free flight back, first class, non-stop from HNL to DEN. So stoked!

I had to leave right after teaching. It was hectic but i made it to the airport and took my red eye to HNL. I met this awesome girl on the flight and we spent our 4 hour layover in vegas together. She is cool and we hope to hang out soon. She is from Denver. I arrived in HNL at 6 am and got picked up by good friends and the awesomeness began.

I met with Becky and we went surfing at Cliffs (diamon head) right away. Oh my GOD! To be in the water, the ocean, the waves, the sun, being on the board, i cant even begin to tell you how amazing it was. I was in heaven!

After out sick surf session, we ran a few errands and headed to the fields. I was getting soooo tired not having slept in forever! At the fields i set up my tent and passed out. The sound of waves, the wind, knowing i would see more of my friends soon. And i woke to the sound of their voices. Timber, Bhama, Dave, Joel, Amy, Julia, Brian...it was soo sweet!

We got ready to head to the fields for dinner and to begin the partying that was not going to stop until monday night!

It was sososososo sweet seeing all my friends...oahu, big island, and everyone else!!! I was so in love. The thick air, the heat, the beer, the hugs...ahhhhhh. Every team had their opening cheer and Swing of fire brought it home with Keoki jumping out of a volcano in a thong and JP playing ukelele. Needless to say we won best cheer!

We boat raced, laughed, played games, and then i crashed for a windy, loud rainy night in my tent. But we woke to sunshine which was perfect.

A quick breakfast and we were off to a day of 5 games of ultimate. Swing of fire played well, rocked the house with costumes and spirit. It was a long day but so sweet. By the end i was wasted from boatracing and shots and who knows what!

After showers and a swim in the ocean it was time to get dressed for our formal sit down dinner. I wore this long red velvety gown...so fun! Nice to see all us dirty ulti players all dressed up. Hehe! After a nice indian dinner the dance party began. With fog machine and everything! We danced until midnight and this may have been my fav dance session EVER! It was sweaty, hot and wild, and fun! YAY!

I slept like a baby that night!

The next day: another 3 games and my feet were shot. Blisters and everything. I was so tired and sore! It was a bitter sweet day because i knew most of my peops would be leaving. It felt way too short and i didn't want the weekend to end.

After our good byes and moving tents it was time for dinner and awards. Swing tied for spirit with south of border and won it via a boat race. YAY! We then entered the boat race championships and made it all the way to semi finals!!! Even though we didn't have our main seven....well in the end we did! Because we crushed! So happy!
I did 5 boat races in one hour....and then went to bed and never even got drunk!
HAHA!

I woke a bit sad...i knew it was my last day and i had had such an amazing time!!! BUT it was beach ultimate day which meant a day in the sand under the sun! So so fun!
I got soooo sandy. The ocean was awesome....oh the joy!

At about 4pm we headed to the airport and spend the next few hours at the bar. YAY!

And then it was time for my flight back, another red eye and off to class an hour after i landed. Yikes. As sad as i am that its over, i also feel so elated that i got to go, so grateful and so happy! I know that i will always be part of that family and that in only 2 months i get to join Kaimana Klassik! So so stoked!

So that's it for now. Happily being lazy this weekend and doing absolutely NOTHING!
YAY!

Off to the islands...

2009-11-05T09:03:00.002-10:00

oh my...i am so antsy and excited. I can barely sit still. I am leaving tonight for Oahu and the worlds best frisbee tourney. But best of all, i get to see my friends, my ohana!!! And maybe some surf too. Oh my...giddy...pure.

I got a massage this morning and then a chiro adjustment so that my body is ready for some torture. I am all packed. Now i just have to teach a couple of classes and i am off.

YAY!!!!

Happy happy me!

Cross Country Trails

2009-11-02T17:37:00.009-10:00

After our two days of snow storm and no work, it was time to go out and enjoy all that ridiculous October snow!!!

A few feet in the mountains and a blue bird Saturday provided the perfect conditions to go play. We decided to hit one of our favorite cross country trails from last year. Its in the Indian peaks, called Coney Flats. And wow...it was perfect!
PS: check out that sexy car!!!

The snow was deep and lush, the weather warm and sunny. Only a few folks ahead of us breaking trail!! We ended up having to break trail the last mile or so, since those peops didnt go all the way but it was so worth it.

All in all an 8 mile round trip that ends at Coney Flats with a stunning view of Sawtooth mountain. The trail is up and down with a lot more up then down on the way in, but that makes the way out so so so fun as you are gently sliding all the way to the car. The trees kept out the wind but let enough sun in to blush our cheeks.

A great Halloween that ended with an awesome dinner at Matt & Nora's house. I dressed up in Nate's XL pilot clothes with was nothing short of hilarious. Nate dressed up as a math teacher :)
Sadly we forgot to take pictures. Lame!

Probably my very first snow filled Halloween ever...pretty cool!

Next up: HOPU....a weekend in Hawaii with friends....oh my god...how friggin' exciting is THAT!!!!!

PS: of course the snow has all melted and its now 60 degrees again...HAHA!!!

All i see is white...

2009-10-28T19:30:00.003-10:00

It started last night...huge fat white flakes falling from the sky...silent and steady all through the night. We woke to 3 inches and no end in sight.

I drove to work with my awesome subaru, a lil nervous and very slowly, and made it there safely 10 minutes before they announced school would be canceled for the day. Haha! Oh well. I stayed for a meeting and then drove home, slowly and carefully.

It was so pretty. I realized i have never lived anywhere where it snows like this. Where this is just part of winter. And it is beautiful. Especially since i know that next week sometime it will be sunny again and warm. Chances are...

Every place i have lived was ruled by nearby waters and rain: Berlin, Portland, Vancouver, Hilo. The snow makes everything so serene and silent and calm. The town looks amazing. And when have i ever had a SNOW day! YAY! All i wanted to do was make a fire and read a book in front of it while the snow kept on falling. It hasn't stopped. We are now at over a foot of snow. Our lanai is full!

Everybody keeps asking me how i feel about this, how its like being from hawaii and seeing all this snow. Would i rather be on a beach than this...sadly yes. But i can still appreciate the beauty of a snowy winter white day!

Just another week ...

2009-10-25T15:58:00.003-10:00

October is flying by...holy cow.

Nothing spectacular this week, just a nice happy not too stressful week of work. Which was actually quite nice. I love my work here, its just that it gets to be a bit much some days, but my colleagues are so nice and everyone loves to talk about teaching and ways to get better and how to make students learn and you know stuff like that. Its nice.

I also had book club this week, which wasn't that great. I dont know why. Maybe because i got there late since i had to teach, or maybe because people hadn't read the book, or because i just felt like an outsider. It was a bit disappointing as i had been looking forward to it all week. But i am not giving up. Next month will be better :)

Nate and i got to spend Saturday at Shelf Road climbing which was perrrrfect. 80 degrees and sunny and just so fun! Sadly it snowed again today with 30 degree weather and so we headed home last night knowing the forecast.

But we slept in, went for a late breakfast, and then walked pearl street, shopped, drank hot chocolate and had a super snowy afternoon stroll in our town. The snow flakes were HUGE. It was so beautiful! The snow, sun, snow, sun mania is totally crazy! But at least there is sun! HA...

Now its time for a movie and sleep. Another week of work awaits!

HOPU countdown: 10 days :)

Ski Climb Play

2009-10-18T20:04:00.004-10:00

This was a activity filled weekend and i am beat!

After our ski excursion on Friday, we went climbing at the Golden Cliffs yesterday. The weather is hot-tastic...it could be hawaii. Hot sunny sunshine all day every day...bliss. We had a nice time climbing together and just enjoying another day outside.

And today was league day, so two games of ultimate this morning. Lots of running in the hot sun. What cracks me up is when my teammates tell me that its humid...haha...humid. They think thus dry arid air is humid...they dont know humid!!!

I am actually getting tan again, in october...yay! And i am tired. I hurt my back laying out and its spasming a bit. May have to hit up Dr. Pete, the magic chiro doc i been seeing. So yes i am beat. That was a lot of stuff and i am out of shape and gaining weight and i need more of this. All that was missig was a solid surf session and i'd be in heaven!

And i wish i didnt have to work tomorrow. I need a day of rest after this weekend. Ha!

HOPU in 3 weeks...sooo stoked!

I love that i can do these things with my husband...ski and climb...and just spend an awesome weekend together sharing the things we love. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :)

Blue Bird Ski Day

2009-10-16T16:55:00.004-10:00

After much debate, where to go and what to do on this gorgeous 70 degree day we opted for making our first turns on the ski hill!!!

So fun, so warm, so pleasant. We went to Loveland, a ski area about an hour and a half from us. Not too bad. We got about two hours in and man was that PLENTY. We were both so tired afterwards. HAHA! need to get in ski season shape.

I was practicing my tele turns and lovin' the sunshine. YAY!

We got to go out to a yummy dinner with a friend tonight and now we are in bed ready for a movie and a good night sleep!

Tomorrow we'll go climbing and enjoy more of this amazing blue bird weather!!!!

And then there was snow...

2009-10-10T19:53:00.003-10:00

Unbelievable, i want to move back.

We have snow...in october...the beginning of october...snow that sticks...to the ground...5 inches of it...and its freezing cold...in october...2 weeks after summer ended!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If i haven't said it yet: i am NOT ready.

This weather is schizo...plain crazy. We go from snow to sunshine, from 70 degrees to 20 degrees, from hot to cold, from AC to heater in 24 hours flat! Its crazy. I never know what to wear.

And have i mentioned the SNOW...that has collected in big piles on my lanai?????

Sigh...yes the foliage was beautiful and the leaves so pretty and it so so so strange to see snow mixed in with pretty leaves! To see sprinkler systems still going on top of the snow! To feel like its christmas even though Halloween hasn't even happened yet.

And my plants must live inside now...i am not sure they will make it..sigh!

Taking deep breath!!!

Date Night

2009-10-11T19:44:00.002-10:00

After a busy and sleep deprived week, Nate and i decided that quality time was needed.
We both been so busy with work, visitors, and me leaving town on weekends that we hardly get a day to ourselves!

So friday night was date night :) ...dinner and movie, what else!

We wnet to an excellent sushi place and ate our hearts out and talked and just really connected. Sharing stories about work, friends, talking about the past, present and future. Laughing together and just being happy. It was incredibly nice!
Then we went to see Couples Retreat, a hilarious movie with Vince Vaughn.

It was such a sweet evening, i am still smiling. Only downside, now that he is back at work for 4 days i miss him even more...sigh!

But the good news is that he is getting his Denver base back, which means shorter trips and less time away, less stress, no commuting, happy husband, happy wife! He will have to go to training at the end of this month which means 4 weeks apart, but hopefully we get some more quality time together before that! And Thanksgiving and Xmas break aint that far away!

In the spirit of love...we also went to a wedding this weekend. Our friends Derek and Gretchen tied the knot down in Colorado Springs. What was supposed to be a sweet outside wedding at the Garden of the Gods turned into a freezing ice fest. Luckily they moved it inside at the last minutes. Made me all weepy being at a wedding and brought up sweet memories of ours. In the end, even though theirs was only 40 people, i am beyond happy we were just 4. I dont think i missed out at all. But theirs was also very very fun!

So off to another busy week: conferences and exams...yikes. But this weekend is my first full 3 day weekend with my man...YAY!

Autumn Fever

2009-10-08T18:42:00.000-10:00

So i admit, today was a beautiful day.
Sunny and semi warm and the view from my work over the flatirons covered in every color tree with the solid snow covered rockies in the back (yes we been getting inches upon inches in the mountains) and the full moon above it...stunning!

I wish i would have had a camera!

So yes maybe autumn is quite beautiful. Now if it was just a teeny tiny bit warmer. :)
But i love the eternal sunshine!

A team named Shugga...sweet like no other!

2009-10-07T17:56:00.003-10:00

What a weekend. Fun and tiring and exciting and long and all that.

The weekend start with my mother-in-law in town and friends who are getting married this weekend. We had a fun evening going out for dinner at the Med and then dessert crepes at Crepes ala Carte. Oh YUM!!!! Fun evening.

On friday night i left for Phoenix, AZ to meet my fellow team mates at the airport. Loving the flight benefits. Some of them i knew but a lot i didn't. It was neat to meet new people. We got picked up by a big Ryder moving van that the boys had filled with couches and lights and tables and carpets...a real Fiesta Bus.

The hotel had a pool and jacuzzi so of course every night was a pool party for hours and hours. We shared 2 rooms between 10 of us...crowded! It felt like i was back in college ... in a good and bad way..haha. I mean i loved it but i was so tired after 4 games that first day. WOW! Nothing like trying to keep up parting with 20 somethings til the morning hours, shot-gunning beers, boat races...and the like. Gee i am old. I think i was the first in bed every night and still only got like a few hours of sleep. Haha!

We came in placed 14th and ended up beating seed and hopping up to 12th. A great record for a team that just recently came to be. It was good fun and HOT. I kinda really like AZ!

I definitely was not happy with the way i played though, i dont know if it was the fact i felt shy, or that the team knew each other and i was so new, or what, but i could not find my groove. Still had a blast and some sweet lays...and yes i did lose a bunch of skin again. Sigh :)

I alos felt sluggish and not in shape. I could tell i hadnt been working out as much as i used and how its affecting my body. That made me sad. Missing my abs ;)

Pictures should be up soon. It was my first regionals and Hawaii surely showed the most spirit. Its funny how much hawaii is about spirit. I really love that. Sweet sweet shugga!

It was so nice being with my hawaiian friends...made me wanna be back "home" real bad. Talking about surf, beaches, trade winds, mochi ... you name it.

But in only 4 weeks i am heading to Honolulu for my next tourney...HOPU KA LEWA!!!!
So very excited! I can barely stand it :)

Regionals

2009-10-02T02:23:00.000-10:00

I get to go to Regionals! The Oahu team needs players and so i made a spontaneous decision to fly to AZ this weekend (today) and play some disk with my Hawaii friends.

Very exciting!

Only sad part, friends of ours are visiting and so is my mother in law...fun fun!
We had a great night last night going out for dinner and dessert crepes. YUM!!!

So i'll miss out on that but i am going to where it warm!!!!

Go Shugga!!!

Dating friends...

2009-09-29T10:14:00.000-10:00

So my circle of friends is small here if not nearly non-existing.
I have three...i think that sums it up.
There are also potential friends, old friends from days past and interesting strangers.

Its strange to try to form a new community. I think the older i get the clearer and harder the whole process seems to me. In college was so natural.

I seem so busy these days that i don't make time for my 3 friends, needless to say making time for all the others. It takes effort. Its like when you first start dating. Plans have to be made, there are specific times you meet, cant be late, no spontaneity, catching up on life after not seeing each other for weeks...you know...its strange. And it takes effort.

I miss that easiness of just stopping by, taking a nap on katie's couch, crashing a party, meeting for an impromptu coffee or grading date. That was easy. No planning needed.

I can't plan. If i know i will have some time off, its hard to plan ahead and fill it with awkward social hangouts. Easier to just stay at home. To make a date..oh...it seems like more work. But it does always end up being fun after. Weird.

Lame right! Oh i don't know. I am still trying though, in the hopes that time will bring us closer, will take the awkward boundaries away and maybe someday we can just watch a movie together in pajamas. ;)

Sounds nice to me...

Grow grow grow...

2009-09-30T18:20:00.001-10:00

The Seminar - A Photo Essay

2008-02-24T22:04:00.001-10:00

Unbalanced

2009-09-26T17:01:00.000-10:00

Truth be told i feel my life is out of balance.

I don't know how to explain it. I try so hard to fit in here, to feel at home and to enjoy each and every day, but i wake with a heavy heart. My marriage is great, things are awesome, my coworkers are nice, students are okay...i should be grateful. But...there is always a but...

Work has taken over my life. It reminds me of grad school. When i was so immersed in it that i barely hung out with people or followed the things i loved. I barely have time to get out, to exercise, to enjoy my surroundings. The weekends come and go so fast. And when i do have some time, i am so tired, i can barely thinking about using that time to go out or meet people or exercise.

It seems my every thought is about work. Stress. The mainland is busy. Its like everybody is alive to stay busy. Nobody stops and smells the flowers. If you have free time and nothing to do, people think its weird. Like you are not working hard enough or you are lazy. It drives me nuts.

I miss lazy afternoons, time for walks, surf sessions, sitting at the beach and gazing out into nothingness. Just because...because life goes by too fast otherwise. And whats the point of that?

I don't want to be this busy, i don't to be busy just to be busy. I watch the days fly by without having anything meaningful happen. That's why this blog seems empty. And this past weekend was like a breath of fresh air but it made my heart hurt, because it reminded me of how life used to be and because i spent the last 4 days working 12 hours a day to catch up. Crazy right?

I am so lucky to have had the chance to experience life the way it should be lived. To slow down, to breathe, to know nothing is as important a living happily and healthy. To live a balanced life.

I strive to return to that balance...

PS: a student walked up to me after class this week and thanked me for teaching her in a way that makes her learn and enjoy class. I needed to hear that...i needed to know that i am making a difference even though i feel like i am frantic and incomplete in everything i do these days. Thank you .. you were a ray of light this week!

PSS: i realize that when i am doing stuff here, like playing disk with the league folks, i feel better about everything. Maybe i am just missing a community and the time to be with friends and laugh. Met a great gal today. Maybe a future friend?!

Just not ready

2009-09-24T16:51:00.004-10:00

Its finally sunny again and a bit warmer.

Last week after months of warm/hot weather we went from 80 degree days to 40 degrees. Unbelievable. I awoke to snow on the foothills...yes snow...that really cold white stuff that happens when its WINTER. A dusting of snow, but still snow! But its not even October. I was totally unprepared for that. What happened to fall?

Not only do i barely own any shoes for warm weather but i also seem to not have any warm clothes suitable to wear at work. All my warmies are so outdoorsie and my sweaters are fun funky hoodies. Nothing that would suit the dress code i am desperately trying to follow. So i was cold!!!

My feet are so not used to be wearing shoes. After a few hours they hurt. They feel like they are being suffocated in socks and leather....poor things. They miss slippahs.

So i think its time for a trip to target to get some nice sweaters and long sleeved shirts. What a strange concept...haha! Maybe some comfy warm shoes.

But then today the sun came out and warmed to 70 degrees. So pleasant. The trees turned color and its fall. Autumn has arrived! Just in time for Sept 22. How sweet!

I miss hawaii...still...yes...always.

HERA Climb4Life

2009-09-22T10:25:00.004-10:00

I am beyond tired but had a really great weekend in Utah doing the Climb4Life event.

I left work thursday night an drove 4 hours to Grand Junction to meet my fellow devil Twyla and her man. I was able to sleep for 5 hours before it was time to drive to Salt Lake City, Utah. Another 5 hours on the road. But there was much catching up to do, so we chatted the time away.

We arrived Friday morning at 9am just in time for the meet and greet and to head to the crag with our team. We had two awesome climber pros, Allie Rainey & Kevin Wilkenson, with us that set up sweet climbs and belayed us all day. We also met cool volunteers from Salt Lake, so new connections were made. I loved climbing and did real well considering i hadn't climbed outside in a while. I even made it up a 5.11 so that was sweet.

In the evening after free massages and dinner at Squatters (an awesome pub downtown) we went to the amazing library in SLC and saw very cool movie clips, did a raffle, and heard a lot about Ovarian cancer and HERA's goal to find a cure. Very cool cause and very heart wrenching to hear the women's stories. The movie clips were taken from the 5 Point Film Festival, which was so so so awesome. Some sweet climb/ski/surf shots and my hero Liz Clark! She made a movie called Dear & Yonder...and it makes me want to dream....

We also saw a intro to the movie the Sharp End...which made me sweat watching these people lead some crazy stuff!!! Here is the trailer:

Later that night we found a camp site up in Little Cottonwood Canyon and slept for the first time in HOURS!!!!

The next morning we met another group and got to go climbing again. This time we headed up Little Cottonwood canyon to the Alta ski resort and hiked 30 mins to an amazing small lake with a sweet cliff band. We were 15+ peops so it was busy. We climbed, chatted, and relaxed. Really nice!

That night was the dance and dinner....and of course the three of us danced the night away under the starry warm Utah night. Everything was staged at the Black Diamond Campus...so cool seeing where the gear is designed etc. The BD campus is build like a lil swiss village and we got to walk around and check it all out. Very cool!

The last morning we had a nice breakfast at the campus and then i actually won something in the final raffle!!! Amazing! I got so much schwag all weekend...wow! t-shirt, cosmetics, a headlamp, bag, camping utensils, magazines, carabiner, belay device and more! Awesome!

Love free stuff.

Over all a great time. And even the 9 hour drive back was not too bad. I really like driving alone...i do...played 60 songs on my ipod, random shuffle...fun! I like my music, ha, i was so tired of it but i hadn't listened to 80 % of the stuff on my pod.

So now i am catching up on work and sleep....or trying to...sigh! Have i mentioned that i am tired?

Thank you to Ali, Kim, Evy, Nate, Tim, Eric, and Beccy for donating to this cause and helping me reach my fundraising goal!!! You guys rock!

Not ready

2009-09-13T09:34:00.003-10:00

Its so hard for me these days to update this site. I feel like once a week is all i am managing and the main reason for that is that not much is happening. I work. That's it. A lot of work.

Labor day weekend ended up being fine. I had a nice time staying at home. One day i just watched movies and relaxed, the next i built a garden on our lanai. I planted flowers, herbs (basil, dill, cilantro, mint, and rosemary) and some veggies (tomatoes, squash, arugula, and radishes). Looking good so far and they are sprouting. YAY! Its exciting. I forgot how exciting it is to grow things. Trying to bring a bit of the farm living back into my life.

Yesterday was our first super cold day. It been in the eighties and all of the sudden ...boom...rainy, cold fall-like day. I am not ready. That's what i realized. Haha. I need more warmth. But luckily today its warm again. Sweet!

I played my first couple of fall league games today. I have nice team, they seem fun, so i am stoked! I am excited to get in shape some more. All that work is so not helping!

Oh and i finally made it to the climbing gym with friends on Friday. That was fun. We biked and then hit up a local brewery. Sweet warm evening!

Last night we had a dinner/game part with Matt & Nora. Oh fun! We ate yummy food, drank a lot of wine and played fun games. So sosososo nice. Need more of that! NEED! MUST HAVE!

So i guess there is stuff to talk about. I should make a post for each of these...but i am so not motivated. I'll be better soon. :)

Climbing Devils go climbing for a cause....

2009-09-04T07:48:00.003-10:00

September 17-20, 2009 I am going to be turning my passion for climbing into action to find a cure for ovarian cancer. The climbing devils (my good friend Twyla and Greg) and I are going to climb in the 8th Annual HERA Ovarian Cancer Climb4Life Salt Lake City, Utah event.

I have never done this type of fundraising before, and i know that economic times are tough. But i think this is an awesome cause and so even if you have only $5 to spare it would help a lot. Thank you for reading this!!!

Ovarian cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer death among women and kills more women than all the other gyn cancer combined. There is no reliable test for early detection and more effective treatments are needed so we can save the 1000’s of women diagnosed annually. Money raised from this event will go to fund cutting edge Ovarian Cancer Research Grants at major institutions like Johns Hopkins and M D Anderson Cancer Center.

Can you help me make a difference by making a donation to my efforts? No amount is too small. Together we can move mountains and help find a cure for this deadly disease!

The HERA Women’s Cancer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with tax ID # 71-0879772. All contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

Thank you for joining our cause!

Aloha & Cheers
Dine & the Climbing Devils

Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support HERA Women's Cancer Foundation

What to do...

2009-09-03T17:31:00.004-10:00

Yeah, so another week has gone by. See i work so much i barely have time to upkeep this blog. Sigh.

This week was more stressful, i felt that i could barely keep up. Each night i lay in bed thinking of a million more things i could have accomplished. Sigh!

I feel better tonight. I have the next 4 days off. Yippie! Sad thing is that Nate is going to work.
Alone
Again
Sigh.

I need to think of things to do. Keep myself busy. I should climb, run, swim, something.
I haven't exercised in forever.
I miss it.
I miss my friends.
I miss hawaii.
But what else is new.

I do like my job. And next semester i am getting a much much better schedule. So that's exciting.
And all the people are so nice. Its fun. If only i wasn't working so much!

Nate and i have not spent a full day together in almost 3 weeks. Yikes!!!

The weather is still awesome here. Warm and pleasant with cool nights. I hope i can keep busy this weekend.
Thinking of getting on a plane and flying somewhere...but its labor day weekend, so flights are full!
Thinking of driving somewhere...Jackson?...Minnesota?...but thats a long long way away.

Man, i do not want to waste my 4 days. The few friends i have left town...

Mhmm...what to do?

Week one is done!

2009-08-27T17:10:00.003-10:00

Phew....well that wasn't so bad. I do like it. Its a good job.

Its just a lot more teaching and less money. So that hurts a bit. But the peops are really nice so far. Very helpful and fun. The students seem the same.
Here is my first impression of every class:
College Algebra #1: younger crowd, impatient, bored or lost i cant really tell, quiet, testy
College Algebra #2: excited, motivated, fun, older crowd, talkative, nice
College Algebra #3: a medium between the above, not bad, probably the slowest so far
Linear Algebra: besides the fact that its me and 20 guys that are 30 and above (all in the work force), its fine. I am a bit intimidated, but they are nice and so far really friendly. No one disrespecting me or testing me coz i'm a girl. I like it!

So it will be interesting how each class develops. I feel like i am too easy in lecture. And then too hard on tests. I want to find a medium. So far the students overall seem well prepared and they know a lot. A nice change.

The schedule is not great, but not bad. I teach every day...sigh...except friday. I am used to getting a day off...not off from everything...just off from teaching. Its exhausting to entertain for 4 hours every day. I am making my schedule for next semester and pushing for a tuesday/thursday schedule. I really really hope they let me. That would be the best!

The other down part about all this work is how lil time i have gotten with my man. Now its the weekend for me and he is off to work. Sigh. I miss him. Things are awesome right now though. We are really finding a groove and life seems so beautifully normal right now. I am grateful. Happy. At peace. If only i could be in hawaii ;)...but no...i am soooo thankful how everything has worked out after my year of hell.
Serentity, at last.