Here We Go Again!

Well hello there you little cutie-pies! I hope y'all are having a wonderful spring day. I would love to say that it is a beautiful and sunny 75. I would love to say I will be out studying by the lake with a gentle breeze. I would love to say it is a wonderful spring day. It is quite the contrary. As much as I love rain, I don't like this pissy rain. If it's going to rain, then pour and give me some boomers!! Maybe I'm a little cranky because of finals and data analysis not really going as planned.

On a much happier note, David and I left Raleigh in the dust this past weekend. We decided that Asheville, NC would be a much better place to hang out for the weekend. And guys, Asheville stole my heart. Holy moly. Asheville reminded me of Madison sooooooo much :) :(  It felt so good to find my slice of paradise in North Carolina!! Except that Asheville is about 4 hours away. Way to rain on my parade - good thing I have an umbrella :D

It's okay Mr. Boulder, I didn't like that layer of skin anyways. 

When we first got to the Asheville area, we went to Rumbling Bald to do some bouldering. And by some bouldering, I mean 1.5 hours worth before the state park closed. Then we cruised on up to Asheville and ate at the Laughing Seed where it was all vegetarian which I greatly appreciated! Then we took a quick peek at the climbing gym across the street. As for sleeping arrangements, we laid out the crash pads in the back of David's car and did some car camping.

The next day we wandered around Asheville awhile, discovered I left my credit card somewhere, retrieved it, did some more bouldering and Rumbling Bald, and started the drive toward Pilot. More car camping. Drove to Pilot Mountain, did a decent 5.9 lead, got irritated because it was super packed and hot, hiked back to the car, drove home, showered, got groceries, and started the task of studying for finals. Please note how little I will talk about studying for finals and focus on the fun aspects of ditching Raleigh.

Anyways, my final is tomorrow morning and I should probably get back to studying for that for a bit before I hang out a TRC for a few hours. Because that is what the cool kids do. So yup; enjoy some climbing pictures!

Must. Escape. Now...

Hey y'all. So, as you may have guessed I've been a little on the busy side. Between research, family visiting, awesome field trips for permaculture, going climbing at RRG again with Aaron, working on group projects, building stuff with bamboo, and drinking vast amounts of coffee. And by vast amounts, I mean a cup a day :)

First off, field trips in grad school are the bomb-diggity. I'm taking a class called Permaculture: Sustainable Living. Basically, this course is one of my passions in life and I really looked forward to that class! The first field trip was to Larry's Beans. It is a small coffee bean processing plant near downtown Raleigh. I was really excited to learn about this side of coffee; when I was in Guatemala I learned all about the growing and plant pathogen side. But besides learning about the processing and distribution, I discovered how sustainable and off-the-grid a company could actually be.

Larry's Beans is a Fair-Trade organization  (http://fairtradeusa.org/). Basically, the growers get more money because the middle man/"coyotes" are eliminated. It is also a social benefit. Just go to the website and read it. Fair Trade is a really cool thing! Also, check out Larry's Beans (https://www.larrysbeans.com/) because they are awesome and have delicious coffee to drink.

So Larry's Beans is mostly run on solar power and only is "on-the-grid" because of some weird law about businesses needing to be on the power grid. LAME. The vast majority of their water comes from rain. They have an underground 8,000 gallon storage container that fills up in about 10 minutes during a thunderstorm. All of this water lasts them like 7 months! They also had a vermicompost bin! I am getting too excited to type. This place blew my mind. Everything about the building design (maximum natural light, rain water gathering, big windows and doors to minimize air/heating, and layout) flowed so well together and felt comfortable. If y'all are in Raleigh, you need to check this place out. You won't regret it I promise!!!

The other field trip was to Piedmont Biofuels. I've been to a few biofuel companies but this place was so different from the rest! They had experimental gardens surrounding the operation, had an aquaculture experiment thing, and an aquaponics system. Again, they made the buildings more sustainable with big windows for light, barely needed electricity, had their own solar panels, and cool funky building designs. I'll post some pictures.

Then Dad and Kiddo came to visit!! It was soooo good to see them again. It kind of sucked that I had class and couldn't hang out with them as much as I wanted to. Dad played around on my car (Kati), I showed them what I do in lab when there is no field work to do, enjoyed the beautiful weather, and ate a lot of food. I have never had a gourmet breakfast for that many days in a row thanks to my wonderful little brother :)  I took Dad and Kiddo climbing at TRC and they totally rocked it (get it?). I really love showing my family members my slice of paradise and my escape from the city. Plus, climbing is such a good workout and is super addicting! Try it once or twice. I dare you.

Jason is belayed certified at my gym :)

When Dad and Kiddo started the journey from the 919 to the 920, I left for Kentucky. Y'all will never guess where I was headed! Yup, I was going back to The Red to meet up with Aaron to crush some rocks. I got on a bunch of the climbs I wanted to, practiced some trad climbing - Aaron even let me place a cam or two, and found a few projects to conquer!! Aaron also finished some of his projects as well - that feeling is incredible. Climber's high?

Climbs I did:

Mercy Miss Percy - 5.9 lead
Sunshine? - 5.9+ lead
Tissue Tiger - 5.12b (more like attempted with assistance)
Face Up to That Crack - 5.8- lead (and placed two cams...well kind of)
Mr. Bungle - 5.8+ lead
Brother Stair - 5.9 lead
Environmental Impact - 5.7 trad (I cleaned)
Central Scrutinizer - 5.9 trad (I cleaned)
Pogue Ethics - 5.9+ lead
Cindarella [is a b*tch] - 5.9 lead
Boltergeist - 5.10b lead
Preemptive Strike - 5.10c toprope
International Route of Pancakes - 5.8 lead (not worth your time)
The Bee's Business - 5.7 lead
Trundling Kentucky? - 5.7 lead
Send Me on My Way - 5.9- lead (SUPER AWESOME!!)
Return of the Manimal - 5.10d toprope (ALSO SWEET TO CLIMB!)

Projects:
Cindarella - get it clean!
Boltergeist - get through the crux without falling!
Preemptive Strike - try on lead :)
Return on the Manimal - try on lead as well!
Critters on the Cliff (5.10d) - never attempted but looked cool

The arboretum had beautiful flowers!

As always, climbing was a success. It was pretty great to climb with Aaron again. But reality got kicked in the face when I got back to Raleigh and had to spend my days, afternoons, and nights in the lab. Talk about making me cranky! At least that part of lab work is done so I can finally get onto the next step and add some variety to my days. I get bored way too easily to work in a lab. Give me a field where nothing is the same two days in a row!!!

Now, the semester is officially over so I must start studying for the final exam for PP 707. I finished my other final projects for various classes. But right now, I need to sleep and not wake up for a long few hours!

Back to Reality

Hey y'all! This bipolar weather is starting to get rather irritating. Don't go from 80 degrees to snowing a day and a half later. PICK A TEMPERATURE!! Anyways,  spring break was last week and a few of us decided to get back to reality. If y'all know me at all, you know that reality does not involve sky scrapers, lab/work, or seeing people who aren't nature geeks.

First things first. The first weekend in March, Aaron came to visit! I think he appreciated the weather (which was a beautiful mid 60s most of the time)! After getting him from the airport, we went to TRC to get a solid climbing session in and he could meet my climbing friends and they could meet him. He also met one of the kids on Team who loves to attach herself to my hip. Dear Kelly needed to show off how strong she was by carrying me around (which worked well for me). She's a darling.

I took him to my favorite places around Raleigh, took a hike around Lake Johnson in the sunshine, asked each other philosophical questions, found another wine to enjoy, introduced him to my beloved friend Emma and her boyfriend, and just enjoyed his company. This is when we weren't talking about our climbing trips or my trip to Seattle and Portland this summer.

Then he left. I ran into lab for a few hours, packed my car full of climbing gear, and tried not to get too excited. The next day, David, Patrick, and I got in the car and drove to Red River Gorge. We did a night climb the first night we got there. We also managed to get lost a few times trying to get to the crags. Maybe we are just bad at reading the guide book? 

Chica Bonita Wall?

Anyways, we were all over the place - which was fantastic. I finally got to do my first lead climb outside :D  We did a lot of wandering around trying to find the crag, climbed a bunch of routes, usually ended up climbing in the dark, last ones to leave the crag, had lots of pizza from Miguel's, and had a few chilly nights in the tents. It was one of the best spring breaks I've had. Mainly because I got to see Aaron, went climbing at The Red, and didn't have to go to lab for a week. Coming back to civilization was difficult. My lights seemed too bright, not everyone was a climber, and there wasn't rocks to climb everywhere. I slept on my floor for a night or two to slowly transition back to society. So when I say "Back to Reality" y'all know I'm not talking about skyscrapers, work, people, and cars - I'm talking about crags and mountains.

My favorite place and drink while at RRG

I have to be artsy sometimes. Also, I learned if I want hundreds of photos per climb taken, just hand your camera to David. He will get every shot from every angle. Therefore, I decided a picture of climbing shoes would be sweet.

Here's a list of the climbs that I did. Patrick and David did more (I got really sick one day and couldn't be bothered to move). David got on Pure Imagination (5.14c) and clipped the second bolt and was on his was to the third. AND I MISSED IT! Guess that means I'll just have to drag him to RRG again with me someday soon :)

David on Pogue Ethics - by the way, Aaron knows one of the guys who did the First Ascent on this route!

Panda Bear (5.8) Animal Crackers Wall
Sam (5.10b) Animal Crackers Wall
Riki Tiki Tavi (5.8) Animal Crackers Wall
One Armed Bandit (5.9) Boneyard
Dance of the Druids (5.9) The Hideout
Pogue Ethics (5.9+) Phantasia Wall
Creature Feature (5.9) Phantasia Wall
Lord of the Flies (5.8) Phantasia Wall
Overlord (5.10b) Phantasia Wall
Mary Pop-Parazzi (5.5) Chica Bonita Wall

Patrick on Pogue Ethics

ONES I WILL DO THE NEXT TIME I GO:
*Cindarella
*Boltergeist
*Brown Eyed Girl
*Baby Blue Eyes
*To Defy the Laws of Tradition
*Sugar Rush
*Oompa

Me on Pogue Ethics - I highly recommend this climb:)

Elephant in the Room

It's been uneventful - well, for the most part. Actually, that's a lie. I've been bouncing around lately and I love it. In case if you forgot, I have problems sitting still for very long. I'm an active sleeper - ask anybody who has spent a night in the same bed as me.

This is why I need Annie to come visit me :(

First things first. Last Wednesday through Saturday was my department's recruitment weekend. We had 7 recruits come and visit - one of which was a classmate from Madison!! We can never have too many Badgers in the Triangle! I picked up a recruit from the airport (after sitting there waiting for 2 hours because of delays) Wednesday night. Me and a few other grad students had breakfast with them on Thursday and Friday morning (free food? I'm there). Then Friday night, we all had dinner at the Mellow Mushroom :)

The other exciting news is that I ended up in the hospital Thursday night. I had been battling a fever and other symptoms all week and my body finally had enough and decided it would be fun to faint. Y'all know me. I almost never take medicine so me deciding it was time to go visit the doctors...you know it was bad. Thankfully, I have some of the sweetest friends in the universe. David took me into the hospital and stayed with me the whole time. Emma, bless her heart, still is offering to help me out in any way I need it. No worries, it was just the flu. THE FLU. I haven't gotten the flu since I like a toddler or something. Apparently my body didn't know what to do so it freaked out. No worries, I'm back into running and climbing. The only thing that isn't up to par is my laughing. I laugh which then turns into a terrible coughing up a lung fit. Hopefully that disappears soon!

Pushing that aside, let's talk about the meaning of "Om mani padme hum." It is sometimes called the compassion or Chenrezig's mantra. Most of y'all have heard of it and have probably said it once or twice without knowing what it really means. Om mani padme hum is a 6 syllable mantra: om ma-ni pad-me hum. Each syllable has a very deep meaning and purification.

OM: think of giving love/time. Purifies ignorance of true mind nature which is the root of samsara.

MA: think of morality & ethics. Purifies anger - the worst negative mind state.

NI: think of patience. Purifies stinginess.

PAD: joyful mind/joyful effort. Purifies attachment.

ME: concentration. Purifies jealousy.

HUM: wisdom. Purifies pride/arrogance.

Oh dear. I found the cute puppy links....

D'awww!!! Daddy please please please bring Annie!!

 "People in America have funny way of saying things. You say 'There's an elephant in the room' when something important needs to be talked about but isn't. In Tibet, we don't say that. Of course there is an elephant in the room! Your mind is an elephant and you must tame it and have it walk calmly next to you. Silly Americans!" -Geshela Gelek Chodha

"The environment is our body. The air is our breath. The water is our blood. The trees are our limbs. The environment is very sacred." -Geshela Gelek

Love will draw an elephant through a keyhole. -Samuel Richardson

Snow Snow Go Away

What's crack-a-lackin' folks? I am going crazy with being locked up indoors. I need to go climbing like right now. The last time I went climbing was a pathetic attempt Monday night after I flew back into Raleigh after visiting Aaron for his birthday. Being sick and tired isn't really the best combination for a rocking work out at the gym. Then on Wednesday, I was going to climb after my work but that just didn't happen...why you ask? Snow.

I have no idea where this is but I will find out where and go climb it.

Well, we took a look outside and all the highways and main roads were completely gridlocked. I google mapped a new route home and started on my journey. It was slow moving but there wasn't much traffic until I hit Crabtree Mall. It was utter chaos. Cars were spun out in every direction, parked haphazardly everywhere, sliding across 4 lanes of traffic and the median into my lane, one car was on fire at some point, and many people flipping out. Since I was born and raised in Wisconsin, 3 inches of snow isn't a big deal and manageable to drive in. But when all 1.2 million citizens of the Raleigh area leave work at the same time...all hell is going to break loose. Nury told me one of her aunts usually has a 20 minute drive from work. Well, it took her 5 HOURS to get home. Maybe that will show you a little perspective of what it was like.

See what I mean? We have a panic attack because we don't get snow often enough down here to learn how to deal with it appropriately. Buy your bread and milk beforehand!!

Anyways, so I finally ran into the gridlock and managed to find a backroad that would kind of get me home. My friend David offered to let me stay at his place since it is miles closer to where I was than my own house. So I started on my way to his place. The roads weren't too bad yet but they weren't all that nice off of main roads. Now Northerners - please understand my dilemma here. I was following a car (nobody was ahead of her) when she stopped on an UPHILL to let another car in. I know us Southerners are really sweet and where just being ourselves. Please don't take offense when I shout this: YOU DON'T STOP YOUR CAR ON AN UPHILL WHEN IT'S ICY AND SNOWING. You will get your car stuck because your tires can't get traction on ice. Putting two and two together, you can tell she got stuck. Therefore, I got stuck behind her. I tried everything to get around her - backed up and took a running start and tried going around her but oncoming traffic wouldn't allow for that. I managed to get two guys to help me get my car out of the middle of the street and park it on the curb/somebody's yard. Then, I grabbed the essentials from my car and started trekking to David's. Mind you, I didn't have a hat, scarf, gloves, or boots because I wasn't really planning on having to trek 5 miles anywhere in that crap.

This is a view of Fayetteville Street in downtown outside the Wells Fargo Tower. **Kiddo you might like this**

I made it about halfway when the sweetest, kindest lady told me to come inside her house. She dried my shoes and coat for me and bundled me up in blankets and warm clothes until my stuff was dry. She charged my phone for me, gave me better directions to my friend's house, and kept fretting over me like she would her own daughters. She was really worried about me making it to my friend's house so she invited me to stay for dinner and the night until the storm stopped and I could go get my car. I kept saying, "No, it's okay. My friend doesn't live too far from here. He knows I'm on my way and where I'm at. I don't mind walking to his pace." When my clothes were dry, she bundled me up in more warm clothes, gave me a wool hat and scarf, some clothes, waterproof boots and long socks, AND an umbrella to keep me dry. She gave me her phone number and address if I ever needed anything along the way and to tell her when I got to David's. BLESS HER HEART. 

Now I know why the roads weren't plowed :)

I continued on my journey to David's. I was on a road that felt like it was never going to end. Then I saw the light. My refuge camp was in sight! His friend Alicia was also taking refuge for the night. No worries Mom, Dad, and Brett - I was fed and kept warm! In the morning, we took Alicia back to her car and got her out (her poor dog, Bella, was home by herself all night) and then we got me to my car, back on the road, and home. My dear friend Tristan asked if I needed help getting my car out (he heard I had to abandon my car but not that I made it home safely). He had been pulling people out the previous day as well. 

So moral of the story. I haven't been climbing for way too long and my palms are sweating just thinking about it. Solution: climbing tonight after work. 

Second moral of the story. Southerners are the absolute kindest sweethearts to ever walk Earth. I have the best friends I could ask for and I love them to the Sun and back. I cannot thank all y'all enough for helping me out.

Most of us have found comfort in the hugs of good friends or family members in times of stress or trouble. Athletes celebrate victories by hugging their teammates. We use hugs to wish someone good luck, show support, or to say hello, goodbye and goodnight. Sometimes we hug each other for no reason at all. 

KEEP LOVE IN YOUR HEART. A LIFE WITHOUT IT IS LIKE A SUNLESS GARDEN WHERE THE FLOWERS ARE DEAD. -Oscar Wilde

Meditation and Mindfulness

Can you remember the last time you didn't have a thought running through your mind? Can you remember the last time you smiled at a stranger and truly wished the best for that person? Can you remember the last time you weren't thinking of the past or future but were entirely in the present?

My dearest friend, Abhi, sent me a book called "The Power of NOW" by Eckhart Tolle. Every word, every sentence, every page...I cannot find the right English words to describe it. I could use powerful, clarity, any word but it can't possible do it justice. It's like standing on top of mountain and being completely overcome by the view, the awe, the moment. You can't describe it, can't label it; you have to experience it. Let me try to "explain" it.

I always start with breathing meditations. By focusing on your breath in a number of ways, you are bringing yourself into the present. You are only conscious about your breath - how it feels, the coolness of an inhale, the warmth of an exhale - and not thinking about what you did earlier in the day or your plans for the rest of the day. Find a comfortable place to sit and make sure that you are grounded. Some prefer to sit cross-legged on the floor but sitting in a chair with good posture and feet firmly on the ground also work. My personal favorite is sitting against a tree to be extra grounded; surprised? Now close your eyes. Do a quick body scan - feel the pressure of the ground on your feet and legs. Feel the spine holding you tall and strong. Feel the shoulders and arms relaxed by your sides. Now focus on your breath. Count breaths if you like to keep focused in the present. Breathe normally; your breath will deepen naturally. Try to stay focused on your breath as long as possible. When you notice your mind drifting from the breath, gently acknowledge that your mind is elsewhere and bring it back to the breath. 

My other favorite meditation is one of love and compassion. Again sit comfortably and grounded to Earth. Close your eyes and bring your attention inside your body. Focus on an object/God/Goddess/person that you feel embraces the concept of love and compassion. For some, it might be your mother or father, grandparents, a religious figure, or a young child. Or it might be embracing the feeling you had when you first held your baby. Whatever it is, focus on that feeling and image. Let that feeling cascade over you. Some would call it a "warm fuzzy feeling." Now try to extend that feeling into everyone in the room. The building. The city. The state. The country. The continent. The hemisphere. The entire World. Focus on compassion and wanting the best for absolutely everyone and everything. Just try it.

Another thing I've noticed is how similar religions truly are. After being raised Catholic and exploring other religions, the similarities are striking. We really aren't different from each other at all. We are all striving for the same thing - an end to suffering. Some believe the ultimate end to suffering is called Heaven; some call that Nirvana. We try to get there in different ways. Just think, who wants to be suffering when they can be at peace?

Have some quotes. Maybe one of these will strike a chord.

*Words have the power to destroy or heal. Words that are both true and kind, they can change our world.

*The heart is like a garden; it can grow compassion or fear, resentment or love. What seeds will you plant there? 

*We are not independent but interdependent.

*Stay centered, do not overstretch. Reach from your center, return to your center.

*Take time everyday to sit quietly and listen.

*We inter-breathe with the rainforests, we drink from the oceans. They are part of our own body.

*If you wish to know the Divine, feel the wind on your face and the warm sun on your hand.

Pilot Mountain

Hey y'all! It's another beautiful day in The South! Have no worries, tomorrow will drop 30 degrees and we will join y'all in the arctic blast. I celebrated today by running outside in shorts and a tshirt and walking home instead of taking the bus! If only every day in winter could be like this...maybe in Guatemala...

Anyways, when it's nice and cold down here I'll have to study for 707. This class is the complete opposite of my expertise :(  So when I say study, I mean trying desperately to understand. But the X-Games are on so I can take study breaks! I can't believe I have exams already - classes just started for some people in Wisconsin.

Last Monday, a group of 8 climbers went to Pilot Mountain! We didn't have class and the weather was nice so we decided to crush some rocks. I learned how to set up an anchor and tried out some new techniques. The first climb I couldn't feel my fingers because the rock was cold. Let's just say it didn't turn out so well. Awhile later, I tried the climb again and was successful! I spent a long time attempting a 5.10 (which didn't turn out so well). 

On top of Cowboys and Heroes!!

I was going to do my first lead climb ever but...that didn't happen. My friend Josh started a lead on a 5.9 but getting to the first and second clips was sketch. As we was downclimbing, his handhold literally broke off. The rock caught my shin as I got yanked towards the wall. It was a beautiful sight. Naturally, I took of a picture of the viscous rock and Josh to show y'all it wasn't a pebble. After that happened, I decided that wasn't a good climb for me to do my first lead on...

Attempting to get over the roof - I really need to work on those!!

Josh and the rock that broke off.

BUT, I did get lead certified at the climbing gym (TRC)!! Now all the climbs I was getting sick of top-roping are now new and exciting for leads! Oh guys I have some wicked news. Remember when I told y'all about the 5.11 I was projecting? Well...let's just say it's no longer a project :D  Now I'm projecting a 5.10 that has a ton of slopers! Bring it Rami! Rami is a route-setter at TRC and I love the routes he sets. I usually seek out his routes first and work on those!! Scott & JP also create awesome routes.

Now I must make myself study before I go to TRC. Here's a little hint for you. If I'm not at home or out running, I'm probably at TRC. It's my second home.

This is why I love climbing - you get awesome views like this!!