The Adventures of Kinky Reggae: A Vagabond for Beauty

Alas, I did not accomplish all of the things on my summer list. But technically, there's still time! Anyone want to make out at a drive in? Or eat a blue sno-cone with me? (Bold means I have completed the item.) 1. Hike on the trail with Sasquatch sitings (Okay, technically I didn't hike it, but I camped there. And it was creepy!!) 2. Sleep under the stars (dirtbag it!) 3. Frolic in an alpine meadow (Taylor Swift dance parties) 4. Rhubarb Festival (Didn't make it to the festival, but I had some amazing rhubarb pine in Alpine) 5. Eat a blue sno-cone  6. Make out at a drive in 7. Go to an observatory and look at stars (Rich got out the telescope one night in Portland... Does that count?) 8. Research picks for Fantasy Football (I am in a league with my birthmom, her husband, and three sons... This could get interesting.)  9. Catch fireflies (Wasn't gonna happen since I didn't make it east of the Mississippi) 10. See the river in the Galiuros that only appears at night

I am unhappy at work this year. There are a lot of reasons that I won't go into, but it's hard going to work every day. I've become one of those people who lives for the weekends. And on Sunday nights, I feel panicky about going back on Monday. I keep trying to squash those emotions and just suck it up and get through it. I tell myself it could be worse. (Because it really could be!) But I'm reading "Rising Strong" by Brene Brown, and she talks about not comparing suffering. She recommends writing a "shitty first draft" where you're just honest about your emotions, and in doing that, I realized there are A LOT of things bothering me. So I am not crazy, and I should stop feeling guilty about being unhappy (as long as I don't cross that line and start wallowing). Writing really does help you figure out how you're feeling! Here are the things I came up with to help me get through it this year: Assume positive intentions. Try not

Conversation that just   happened in the teachers’ lounge Coworker: Erin, what are you up to this weekend? Me: Well, I was thinking about going to Sedona today. My friend Jason has a free hotel room up there tonight and he invited me… No no no, it’s not like that! He invited our friend John, too! Coworker: So, you’re having a threesome this weekend? Me (blushing): No! I’m not going, anyway. I’m going to run some errands after work. Actually, do you know the cheapest place to get large quantities of vodka? Coworkers stare. Me: I’m making vanilla extract! You need vodka for vanilla extract! Lots of vodka! Coworker: Sounds like Erin’s weekend is all about threesomes and Jello shots. OMG.

Apparently we didn't learn our lesson from not reading the beta yesterday, because today we unintentionally ended up in an R-rated slot. There are four Hog canyons. We knew Hog 3 was the most difficult of the forks, so we chose Hog 1. The plan was for me and Allison to join the boys for a pleasant romp through a short canyon, then hike out along Hog Springs to one of our cars, which we'd spotted at the Hog Springs rest area. Then we would join Jess at camp (she skipped the canyon) and hang out and drink beer. Meanwhile, the boys would take the climber's exit and just knock out as many of the forks as they could in one day. We didn't have beta, but we knew enough to be sure we were dropping into the right canyon. Allison panicked at the first downclimb, and I didn't blame her. The rest of us like that kind of thing, but Allison does not. She does not enjoy high stemming or elevator downclimbs or super skinny slots. She didn't ask for this!  (Although she certainl

I love these Angel canyons! Short and fun and scenic. I love how it looks like there is red paint dripping down the walls, and I love the view of the Dirty Devil River when you get to the end of the canyon. The approach  Jess on the first rappel Wasn't a huge fan of this anchor! Downclimbing... This is why my legs are torn up We were taking our sweet time, posing for a million pictures, when we got to the confluence with the north fork, consulted the map, and realized we still had a ways to go and the sun was about to set. I referenced the beta and discovered that Jess (Bret's wife) and I were the only ones who had read it. Silly boys!! Jess and I took off through the canyon, leaving the boys to clean up a rappel. When we came to a pool, I started trudging through and discovered it was much deeper than I had expected. "My phone, my phone!" I yelled. Jess grabbed me by the backpack and tried to keep me/it above water while I scrambled to get my footing in the slick m