San Gorgonio

the tallest mountain in southern california is mt san gorgonio, at ~11,500 feet. mark and i had an adventure there nearly a month ago, but having been too lazy to post it, most of you know the story already. the summary is: it was very steep, mark kicked my butt up the hill, ( i take no offense, he was far more motivated to get to the top than i was), we had a great campsite near a creek, and we flew down and were home by noon. oh, and the first night, for lack of wilderness permits we slept in the scion--it was awkward, but we survived. (to clarify--as that last statement sounds "funny weird"--i slept in the backseat, and mark in the front passenger.

mark found this "fresh" banana at the top, not sure how it got there, providence?!

...one year later

mark and i at 29

my 29th birthday is almost over at this point. one year ago i started this blog, and it has at times been a useful means of communication and a nagging burden to maintain. i have not written as often as i wanted, and there are larger gaps than i would have hoped, but life is that way, sometimes there is little to write about.

this has been an interesting year, and the last week in particular have tested my mettle. (if you understand this, then smile smugly to yourself and let everyone else wonder) i had dinner with my best friend tonight, and he asked me some hard questions, which i am still processing. he also encouraged me to take stock of my life (usually he suggests i leave livestock alone). he asked me what made me happy. and i honestly didn't have an answer (not in a depressed way, just that i don't really sit around making that list). why not make the list now?!

1. my family/my past
2. my friends (male, female, old, new, alive, dead, flora, fauna)
3. being in nature, even just a backyard.
4. naps
5. a well crafted sitcom
6. fireworks/fire
7. technology/gadgets
8. feeling useful (in whatever capacity)
9. children (other people's, and potentially my own)
10. animals (not just the cute ones)

that's what i came up with. its not in any order, and there are some i have omitted (accidentally and otherwise) oh, and bamboo--i love that stuff, so useful. now i have a list.

What foul, cruel villainy is this?!

today, my beloved bicycle was stolen. i rode it to work, and when i came out to go home it was gone. someone had cut the "uncuttable" links of my kryptonite chain between 425 and 930 am.

i feel violated.

it wasn't a flashy, expensive bike. IT HAD BASKETS, FOR CRIMENY'S SAKE. i had had it for 8 years, since my last bike as stolen when i loaned it to mark to use at usc. it was a utilitarian wonder-meg just made me put lights on it a couple months ago for riding to work.

i just want it back- i don't want to get a new one.

make your own caption contest

today i made a cake.

i had never made one before.

it has two layers, i'll let you know if either one is any good.

(not that you need an invitation, but) feel free to caption this yourself, mine is
"so that's what betty crocker looks like topless"

now you try...

fancy hair day

every other wed. i shave my head, so wed morning at work i have a funky haircut. this week was "white boy's corn rows" forgive the seemingly asymmetric nature of the cut, i got one pass into shaving it off and remembered i forgot to document it. it was glorious in its hideousity.

Calculus...

...I PASSED!

WITH A MIDDLE OF THE ROAD 75% C

HOORAY FOR MEDIOCRE!

NOW ON TO DO THINGS THAT MATTER.

the end...for now...

I just returned from my last day at junior college, from now on it will be senior college or nothing. i had my calculus final today and i have no idea how it went, certainly not a crushing victory (like my zoology finals), but more of a (hopefully) win by points. but no chicken counting until next monday evening. i went in, and did my best, and hopefully that worked. if not i can do it all again later.
i can now attend to all the piddlies that i hve neglected this week like taking out the trash, cleaning the floors, and clearing all my math work off the table. the rest of the day
is a cleaning binge, and since meg is on call it is perfectly timed.

as i mentioned at the beginning it is the last of my (good heavens) six years at one jc or another. the other day they had graduation for the folks who completed programs or AA's and there was a bunch of cap/gown traffic around the school. and despite my lack of ceremonial attire i felt like them, like the king of the school. i also am scared to death of going to "big college" i know its silly, but there is so much more to do/learn(/pay for) and it has taken so long to get here. part of me is worried that i'll languish at long beach wasting time and money. my plan to counter that is meg, she will undoubtedly kick me in the butt when i need it.

but for now i am going to enjoy my first summer out of school in, well, seemingly forever. mark is in town, i haven't heard about the job at the zoo yet, there's a new parrot on the horizon, strange new haircuts every 2 weeks, and life is full of little adventures, so here's to summer.