The Holidays

What did happen? It is all sort of a blur. Here is a fast brainstorming for now.  I don't have a lot of pictures because I didn't have a camera.  Boo.

-Stayed in Placerville, CA for my second Practicum with Darren's parents and with his sister and brother and their families nearby. Spent one weekend in a cabin near Tahoe and the other with Dannon, Kim, and Larry in San Francisco.

I loved Placerville.  It may be my favorite town in California so far.  The town is small with character due to its history as an old mining town.  My favorite coffee shop, The Cosmic Cafe, is an old mine.  The first week I twisted about in a yoga class and the second I watched The Cup, a movie about exiled Tibetan monks, in this place.  The latter was especially interesting because I was the youngest person watching amongst a gaggle of middle-aged and older hippies.  

The hospital I worked in also had some older hippies.  One physician would come to work in shorts, sandals with socks, and long flowy white hair.  Another wore tie-dye scrubs.  It was awesome.  

-Spent a week at home visiting friends and family

We chilled 3 1/2 ish hours at the Yellow Deli until Cliff, Viren, and Julie puttered off in their RV to go West.

-Traveled a week on a cruise to Honduras, Belize, Mexico, and the Bahamas.  We were on the boat in which the woman went overboard. Yikes.

Giving the camera "bedroom eyes" while SCUBA diving in Roatan, Honduras

We didn't see any big sea creatures (i.e. turtles, eels, sharks, etc.), but we had great visibility, saw fantastic sponges and coral of all types and colors, and, of course, lots of fishies.

Mandy and I's thumbs were frozen by the time we had finished floating down Jaguar Paw in Belize

I had been to Jaguar Paw with The World Mission Tour back in 2005 (I briefly talk about it in my blog from then I think), but it was fun to experience the place with Darren and my family.  I had forgotten how fabulous it was floating through the ginormous caves with our headlamps.   The water was sort of cold, so I was belting out various operatic tunes probably to the chagrin of the hoards of people floating in front of us.  There were so many more people than when I had been here previously.  Darren and I just jumped in the water and swam around while waiting for them all to pass in their groups of 30 people or so.  I was so glad our group was just us.  I was also relieved to have our guide.  He was fabulous because he didn't have any qualms about Darren or I cliff jumping, nor attempting to clamber up the slippery limestone.  I also enjoyed his intelligence, his view of ecology (he studied it in the U.S. and is all about smart ecotourism), and his humor (except for when it got a little racy).  

-Chilled a couple days at home hanging with other friends and with more family

Sailing with Dave by Chickamauga Dam, getting chai at the Yellow Deli with Dave and Aaron, having long chats my grandpa and his wife, extended family dinners, playing Guitar Hero with Joel, Mandy, Dave, Bess, and Aaron...

-Flew to Las Vegas for New Years and rock climbing in Red Rocks

New Years in Las Vegas was surprisingly lame.  The strip consisted of a countdown on a big screen and a bazillion drunkards stumbling about the streets.  Supposedly there were fireworks, but we couldn't see them from our position near the Bellagio.  Lame.  

We stayed at Hooters (not my choice) for a shocking $200.  That experience was sufficiently traumatic and disgusting.

The next three days were exponentially improved, however, staying at our friends' house and climbing in Calico Basin even though I was a bit grouchy.  I led my first chimney which was scary because I was being wussy, but thankfully with the advice of mis amigos I climbed my way to the top safely.

Routes Climbed:
1. Beulah's Book (5.9)
2. Byrd Pinnacle (5.7+)
3. Classic Corner (5.8?)
4. Cocopuss (5.10b)
5. Gold Bikini (5.10a)
6. Atman (5.10a)
7. Working for Peanuts (5.9)
8. Sport Chimney (5.8)



-Visited Stella and her family Saturday night and Sunday

Embarrassing old videos, good chats, plans for Spain, three cups of cappuccino, pupusas...wow wee!