Folly Beach, SC

This past weekend, James and I went out to Folly Beach, just outside of Charleston, SC. I know, I know, what the hell am I doing out playing, I have studying to do (arrrrrrrrgh) but I was good, I studied in the car, and a bit on Sat afternoon.

But when I was not torturing myself by scraping my nose in textbooks, we had some fun. We took Ms Moose to a dog park, where she had some fun but definitely showed her age (i have some precious video of Moose swimming as a 2 yr old, let's just say she's not quite that fast anymore). We waited out a cool thunderstorm, then went surfing. Folly Beach is a prime southeastern surf spot, according to several surfer-dude friends of mine.

James did awesome! He caught a bunch of waves and rode 'em in to the shore. Me, not so much. I was craving the feeling i had in Waikiki in 2004, "oh my wow this is friggin awesome!!!!!", but i never got fully upright. I knelt a few times, crouched a few times, and *almost* stood up, but the waves were kinda short in duration (according to a few friends at school, that pretty much sums up E Coast surfing). Fun anyways. Not so bad, floating around in an ocean that was about 80+ degrees. (Very different from New England!!)

We also went out kayaking. While Moose has been out on several boats, OOOOOO boy!!!, she has never been in a kayak. Those of you who knew Moose at a young age are probably laughing right now, very loudly - Um, NO. AS IF!! But now, at her much more um sedentary age, she was quite content to hang in (yes, IN) the kayak - we got her in the kayak, without rolling in the slimy stinky low-tide mud would you believe, and got her turned around so she could lay down with her head on the gunnel. She was lovin' it.

The estuary hosted not only shrimpies, which hopped into the boat (really. One hijacked its way back to Atlanta) but also dolphins (look for the fin in the pic!!) I was quite nervous that Moose would want to jump in to go play, but thank dog I mean god, she didn't. I have no idea how we would have gotten her back into the kayak.

We had some fun. And now, I am ACK back at it. I will not count days until I am done with boards part I, but oh. It will be good.

On a positive note, I am making forward progress as a student intern in clinic... I have four patients, and I am on track to complete my requirements for this quarter five weeks early. Which, cough gasp, leaves me plenty of time to STUDY.

Did I mention that this sucks? Man, I thought studying for my qualifying exam at MCW was bad. Try doing that while taking 25 credits. UGH.

Climbing in Colorado: Garden of the Gods

Over break, I went to Colorado to climb with my friend Doug. We didn't get out climbing as much as I would have liked, but we did hit a few good areas: Garden of the Gods, El Dorado, and the Flatirons, outside of Boulder.

Garden of the Gods is a collection of unique red sandstone formations a la Sedona, sheer rock walls rising out of the sand. It is just due west of Colorado Springs, on the way to Pike's Peak.















It looks absolutely lovely, and there is a Falcon guidebook that suggests that it is eminently climbable. Um.............. yeah. I should have checked rockclimbing.com first. Oops. Chossy rock, manky or nonexistent pro.

We did do one route, Window Route, a 5.2 labelled a three-star classic. It is situated on the face and ridge of a gorgeous rock formation called Three Graces. Now, for those of you not familiar with climbing vernacular, 5.2 is translated as "really easy." Most people would do it without a rope. Me, I like safety, so I prefer to rope up. And a three-star 5.2? Where else ya gonna find that? What a great warmup!





I've never before had a 5.2 kick my ass. I'm almost embarassed to say it. But, truth is truth - and the truth is, I backed off from finishing it. Something about the unprotectable 30 foot runout over a ridge followed by a few stout bouldering moves (again, unprotected) to bellyflop over two successive sandstone fins, to try to find the (hidden) anchors on the opposite face of the fin. And, oh, did I mention manky pro, and a likely groundfall from about 50 feet?

Hm. Yeah. I dunno, might have been off-route :) i'm a bit famous for that.


Directly after we crawled down the chimney between the fins of the Three Graces to retreat from the route (kinda fun, see pic), Doug tried to lead up a 5.7. Again, it was not, in fact, a 5.7. We growled at the rock, and decided to bail on the Garden in favor of ElDo - figured that it was still very early in the day, if we drove up there we would skip the heat of the day and still make good use of daylight to tick off a few routes on better rock.

Regardless, the Garden is stunningly beautiful, and we had crystalline weather.

More on ElDo, the Flatirons, and other colorado adventures later. Right now I have to be good and write an essay for a scholarship application :)

Congrats to Amy and Patrick!!!!!!!!

Matthew and Elizabeth have made their appearance! 
And they even got different birthdays :)

Matthew Lyndon
born 11:58pm, July 5th
6 lbs, 6 oz., 18 1/4 inches

Elizabeth Grace
born 12:00am, July 6th
5 lbs, 9 oz., 17 inches

Aren't these two of the most beautiful creatures you've ever seen???  

I can't wait to meet them!

ACBK is doing well and looking forward to heading home Tuesday.  :)

projects over break #2: a new window

The window is in! It still needs some finishing touches (caulk, paint) and I haven't gotten around to painting the walls yet. I hope to do that Sunday. But, here's the story:

When I bought the house, I looked at the downstairs and thought, wow, that's kinda dark. And closed-in. If there was a window in that blank wall the room would be completely different. (The only outside light in the room was from the doors at the end.) The first two pictures are of the expanse of wall to the left of the fireplace where i wanted a window.


Yes, we did actually install a window in the hole - too many bugs around here to have an open portal of entry.

Moose was really diggin' it.


and James installed a windowsill almost big enough for Billy's butt.

It does make a big difference in the room. It's very nice to sit in my kitchen and be able to look out into the side garden. Next year, when the hydrangeas are healthier and they bloom in force, the view from this window will be lovely.

I like it! and the reaction of each of my friends who have walked into the house since it was installed is.... wow. Way different, the room looks so big now. I think we did good :)

Ms Moose

Billy, as usual, is fine. Very little could derail that cat from his life of luxury. Mrow.

Moose has been not well for the past few weeks. When I got back from CO, she had a urinary tract infection - blood in her pee, and she needed to pee about 50 times per day. Having had a UTI or two myself..... ow. Not pleasant. Worse yet, she wouldn't eat. NOT a good sign for a 10 yr old lab.

I gave her cranberry extract tablets, and fed her water via ice cubes. She wouldn't drink liquids. Food, she wouldn't touch. Holy cow. The #1 labrador retriever sign of not good. When I would return from an outing, she'd kinda stagger up from her nap spot and stumble to the front door to meet me when I returned, if that. (By comparison, even as recently as 2 mo ago, she'd be waiting at the door to greet me, and she'd just about plow me over with enthusiasm) Oh, not good. Yes, I called the vet. he said give it a week or so, apparently it' s not uncommon for an older dog to have a UTI in response to their person deserting them for a vacation. But waiting to see how things go is tough. I'm not good at waiting. i just wanted to see Moose eat. Is that so much?

This is all very scary stuff for me. A big dog like Moose, avg life span 7-10 yr. I've considered every year past 7 bonus, esp after having had several things biopsied. 10+... I have to face facts. Every month of happiness and health for her is good. it will not always be so. And I will have to deal with that. it's not something i can fight. You all know how much I love her. It's just hard.

So, did I mention I got the AC fixed? Oh, yay!! Me, I don't half give a crap, except that it will be a great selling point for the house (i got a transferrable warranty). But apparently Moose does. I set the thermostat at 75 degrees two days ago and she's eating and drinking again. Aside from limping (labs are notorious for hip problems, esp later in life) she's almost spunky. Almost. A huge thank you to my Dada and Mama for setting aside funds for me to take care of things like AC. There is no way i'd be able to do any of this, unless my grandparents had worked to provide the ability for their kids and grandkids to handle such financial challenges.

Pfft. Apparently Miss Moose is a Northern dog. Heat does not become her.

Well, the good thing is, at this stage in Moose's life I don't have to worry much about her wandering off the moment i'm not watching, or doing something stupid like running across a highway or swimming in class 4 rapids... she MOSTLY listens to the word "no" now.

We'll see how things go. after all that's all i can do.

Projects over break, #1

I know, Darcy, you thought i was insane when you walked into the kitchen of the house I'd just bought... The previous owner of my house liked pink. No, she loved pink. And I, as you know, am NOT a pink person.

Ever since I updated the kitchen from magenta wallpaper with a floral border (see pix) to a nice neutral shade of light blue, I've been itching to finish the edges, which came out a little rough. In fact, I bought tile to do so while I was on my way back from NC over Xmas break. That tile has been sitting on my counter ever since. Ah, school. Well, it's done, and it came out quite nice. The following are two views of the kitchen before:















painted, close-up of the little areas that needed finishing:








and the final product: Doubleclick on any picture for a closeup.























J, the tile hotplate you made is perfect here.















I will post pix of the big project, creating a large hole in the side exterior wall of my house, later today... and the finish of that project will involve painting the living room. When that's done, there will be NO MORE PINK in my house :)

Slightly belated: Why my dad is awesome

Father's day was last Sunday. Last sunday found me at Patty's, sans internet, so here is a belated happy father's day and happy bday to my dad, who is 56 or vice versa or something:

(Wow, 5 years ago right about now I defended my PhD thesis. How time slips. Dad, do you remember the cake I drew for you on powerpoint? :) I know, i know, not enough candles... they wouldn't fit. Dude, you're too old. Powerpoint drawing functions can't handle that kind of resolution)

My dad is excellent. Not in an in-your-face, showy way - Dad is quiet strength. Or, sometimes, at his computer, a focused blue streak, tee hee. He and Mom have been married for 40 years in August. That shows a commitment most of us can only aspire to. He has in series looked after the finances and concerns of Grandpa, Mama and Dada, and Grandma, and continues to look after Mama's in the smartest way possible. He has know-how and standards that have benefitted numerous companies who may not have seen the gem in their midst, and some that have (the Navy and NASA, for two). He has put four women thru college, keeping finances smartly afloat the whole way. He co-designed, helped to build, and has maintained the house in Cheshire for nearly 24 years, and is in the process of designing his and Mom's dream home in Sedona - with green building standards, might i add (he put in geothermal heating in Cheshire way before green was cool!). He has been "in" on the computer revolution since the early '80s, tho it took him a while to warm up to cell phones (not that he really has yet, but whatever). He "gets" the stock market in a way few observers will (some of my earliest memories are of him poring over stock market graphs). He used to fly planes, and may still hold the touch-and-go-record at some airport in the southwest. He has learned to tolerate cats, and even maybe to like one (Ralfie). Perhaps most excellently, he has been Dad to the 3 of us kids, and Uncle George to 6. Great-Uncle George to 6 munchkins (OK, Heather and Josh don't qualify as munchkins anymore, but whatever). And hopefully, within a few years, Grandpa.

Retire? Not my dad. He'd be bored silly. Aw, dangit, that's where we get it. Dang that need for brainfood and accomplishment. It's not a wonder the 3 of us turned out to be achievers. Between Mom and Dad we were pretty much toast :)

Useful irony

Of all of the hilariousness.... I am the recipient of a Life University Club Sports scholarship for the upcoming academic quarter. For mountain biking. For $1000. This danged school can't give me a penny for my friggin' Ph.D. and yet they give me a scholarship for getting muddy. How funny is that?

Speaking of muddy, my friend Kim and I did the Muddy Buddy Atlanta this morning! It was fabulous. I will post the story later, as well as some stuff and pix about my trip to Colorado, from which I returned late last night. ACBK, i thought of you this morning during the race - it was so much fun doing the muddy buddy with you in Boston! I took a few little jumps for you, and got extra muddy :)

I'm so grateful to my friends Kat and Jake for Moose-sitting while I was gone :) it brought me great comfort and joy to know that Miss Moose was well-cared for. Apparently her highness got to take several car-rides with them :) and got to visit Marietta Square and Stone Mountain! I suppose I should emphasize to them before they run out and get a dog that Moose is now 10, and that she DID NOT ALWAYS BEHAVE THIS WAY. I do wonder how many of you got an inaccurate impression of life with a large dog, after getting to know the older and calmer Moose??? Ah, well, your lives are richer with your big shoe-chewers, right? :)

Mountain Laurels & Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend our cycling club took a trip to the DuPont State Forest, in western North Carolina. This time of the year, the mountain laurels are blooming - lavender and pink everywhere you look. Yay! DuPont is the same place I visited after Webster and I climbed Looking Glass. It is home to another classic trail, the Cedar Rock Trail - dubbed the "Slickrock of the East." Having ridden Moooab's Slickrock twice, I kinda wanted to see what the hullaballoo was about. Plus, there were waterfalls involved.

We got a late start on Friday, and i managed to drop in to bid bon voyage to Doug, who is now in Colorado - I wish I could have stayed much longer to visit, but I'll see him in a few weeks when I go out there! Then, a stop at REI to pick up essentials, and my bike, and off we went.

We stayed at my friend Jeff's parents' place in northern SC, which was 2 hr north of atlanta and an hour shy of DuPont. I'd have been happy to camp, but the lure of a shower and a clean lake was strong! Plus, several group members (8 total) were not "into" camping.

The first day at DuPont, we honestly did more playing in waterfalls than biking. The first set of falls (High Falls) was roaring:

We continued on down the trail to waterfall #2, Triple Falls, which had a bunch of swimmin' holes. And natural waterslides. Schooooop! and splat, into the pool! And yes, geoff, it's runnable in high water! Pix are the scramble down to the pools (where we found a water moccasin on the way back up, ah, life in the south) and Ryan shooting down the slide.

After a brief yummy romp down the Galax Trail (the only singletrack of the day, Siren handled it very well. My bike doctors at REI put the handlebars at a better height, and i swapped out the seat, and Siren is getting better and better) we headed over to the camp where Ryan used to work, where he and Melissa were camping. We bbq'd some bison burgers and potatoes, then went romping about the grounds. Turns out, the camp was the setting used for the 1995 movie "Heavy Weights." We had some fun crossing the famous rope bridge, then did some kayaking on the lake (pic on right is my friend Wendy Allread). Not such a bad day - tho not enough biking!!






















Sunday we hit the Cedar Rock Trail. It did not disappoint. First, we took a short spur trail to Bridal Veil Falls, where you can walk under the falls to the other side of the river:





This was our last waterfall to visit - off to the trail, finally!! The Cedar Rock trail was very unusual. It connected the dots between

swaths of bare granite, all the way up to the summit. I can't remember how many times I've been hiking and said hm, that'd be fun on a bike - Well, it is!! Nice long climb, sweet 360 view at the top of the surrounding mountains, and DELICIOUS downhill.
















Monday, I hit Fort Yargo (the site of Muddy Spokes) on the way back. That is one sweet set of trails. The outer loop is 12 miles of singletrack, not a lot of sustained climbing but lots of swoops and hairpins. It was a very different ride on Siren than it was on Jack, my Cannondale - I love both bikes, but oh yeah, rear suspension is nice :)

After the weekend, tues am bright and early (try 7am), I took an exam on positioning arms and legs for xrays. We also had a "surprise" final exam in intro to clinic that day. Friday I had a clinical exam, then last week a week of my lab practicals (4) and four reports due, then this week, four days of written exams (7 total), some of which will be quite ugly. No more playtime for Amy until June 14th. But very soon after.... Bastille Crack and the First Flatiron, they're goin' down!! Doug and Pattymonster, hope you're ready to go play! (Oh, yeah, Patty, did I mention I'm dragging you out with us??)

Mid-exams.....

It seems that my days here at school follow a pattern: of our 11 week quarters, the first three weeks are filled with getting to know our schedules and classes, then the next three with midterms, then about a week or two to breathe, then two weeks of lab practicals followed by a week of lecture exams. Now that I understand that my life here is one big exam, I have a better grip on what I can get away with, as you can see from prior blogs :) Nonetheless, this is a poopy time of the quarter. I'm a little burned out and it's hard to motivate myself to keep studying.

The good news is that after this quarter, I am officially halfway done with the program!!

And, better yet, I start student clinic next quarter!!!!!!! Yahoo, I get to start learning what i CAME here to learn.

In other areas of my life, I've taken to walking Moose in the late morning when I have a break from classes. It's quiet in my neighborhood then, so I can walk her without a leash. She prefers that. I've noticed the last few times we've gone, Billy has been following us. How funny is that? My daily dog-and-cat walk!!

Billy is currently weighing in at 17lb. Downright skinny for him. Actually if he loses any more, I'm taking him to the vet for a checkup.

And to add to the joy of exam week(s), I tried to turn on my AC on Sunday to discover that it's dead. i think it's either a freon leak or a dead compressor. The inside and outside fans work but I hear nothing from the compressor. Gr. Well, the house was built in 1984 and the AC is original... Sigh. The good news is that I have a slush fund in my bank account for things just like this. If there's one thing I've learned as a homeowner, it's to try to keep some padding around.

After all, keeping the Moose cool is very high priority :)

In fun-news, I am headed off to Colorado in ten days to play. Whee! Plus, I have a memorial day post I have written but have yet to put up, I'm waiting for a picture from my friend Ryan to add to it. So, check back within a few days if ya wanna see pretty pictures of a fabulous weekend in Western North Carolina...