#167 - winter

it's winter and it's been a weird one because we've actually had a winter! usually oregon gets one or two days of snow in the valley. in portland we've had weeks of snow, i think there were three different storms. it's been crazy and unusual. definitely a case of the weather going down the toilet due to global warming. this is not a post about the environment though. it's about snow and winter...and most importantly, snowboarding!

in college i took a course called snowboarding. it was one of the many one-credit PAC (physical activity course) classes that are available. i took it three times, in addition to other classes like bowling, ultimate frisbee and rock climbing. yes, i did take all those classes, for college credit. you do have to pay an extra fee of $350 or so but that buys you lift tickets, bus ride and one hour of instruction. i think we had 6 sessions at the mountain, every thursday. i always loaded up my MWF classes in winter term so that i could take this class. it was great! we had to leave early, like 5am or something, then it takes about 4 hours to get to the mountain. you take your one hour class and then get the rest of the day to ride the mountain. it was pretty tight! the four hours back to school were watching movies on the bus ride or sleeping. sure, it took all day and i was exhausted at the end but it was SOOOOO worth it!the first time i took the class i was a beginner and the next two times i did the intermediate course so you get different instructors that teach different skills. we did stuff like carving, the pipe, jumps, grabs, turns, etc. i felt like a badass. that was five years ago and i haven't gone since so i assume i am back to square one. many times i've thought about selling my equipment and just forgetting the whole thing, but i held on. i've got the board, bindings, boots, goggles, jacket, pants and gloves still.

now my friend from school is just starting out, she's only gone twice and has a car. our plan is to go next friday after school, to mt hood ski bowl for night skiing (apparently america's largest night ski area). the thing about night skiing is that it's cheaper and actually kind of neat. they have lights on the snow and it glows. cheaper is good cause snowboarding can be really expensive. $26 for night vs $43 for day, tuesdays are ladies night and it's $14 for night skiing. so we'll definitely hit that up! hours are 3pm to 10pm so that's a big chunk of time and you can't really go that long anyway. snowboarding all day is tiring!!!since i'm just starting up again i'll be super tired and sore the next day, i'm sure. i am just excited to get into snowboarding again! in the five years that i've not been boarding i have done surfing and skateboarding so hopefully some of that carries over. tho i've heard that surfing and snowboarding are opposites. both of them you kind of put pressure into your board though, it's just a different type. surfing (long board) puts me more at ease and is kind of meditating, snowboarding is hard-core high energy fun where you charge.

so anyway, hopefully we get it together and go next friday. i will have to update after that. maybe i'm too old to start this again...my creaky joints might have a say. we'll see. i'm sure dodgeball kind of keeps me in shape, lower-body muscle/joint-wise. or at least i like to think that.

#160 - vacation thoughts

i'm here still, lots of sun. portland is still snowing i think. it's crazy! i've been pretty busy, seeing friends and doing things. today i'm going to the hawaii bowl to watch hawaii beat notre dame! it's always fun to beat them, even if they aren't necessarily good this year. oregon state beat them 41-9 in the fiesta bowl some years ago, that was AWESOME! right after my dad and i are taking a flight to maui to join the rest of the fam. yesterday i went golfing and the day before i went surfing. i've been to a few potluck dinner parties and hung out with pretty much all my friends here. it's been good.

the only thing is i'm missing lots of snow! i've never been in a real winter. portland usually has an inch a year, maybe. it's not a big deal and it's gone in a day or two. now this is real snow! it's still there after a week and it's gettin bigger! i want a white xmas. too bad it's not snowing here, that would be cool.


i've eaten a lot here too and haven't been to the gym as much as i planned. i've had loco mocos, manapuas, pork hash, cake noodle (mmm), and lots of dessert. i think i went to the gym twice. ooops. i did surf and golf though, if that counts as exercise. oh and tennis once! ha! i'm headed to maui where i don't have any friends, only family, so definitely more gym time. i'll need "brandi time" and i'm sure to be eating a lot more ono stuff so i'll need the gym. i've got a lot of projects that my grammy has for me. paint the front door and build a mailbox are two of the big ones. i always try to do some projects when i'm there cause its fun and makes my grandparents happy. plus, i like painting. it's fun and messy!

i am glad i still have another week of vacation cause i need it. once i get back it'll be non-stop for a few months at least. work, school, clinicals, dodgeball, etc. somewhere in there i try to squeeze in sleep but i'm figuring out that i like to take a 2-3 hour nap during the day. i'm not sure how i'll be able to incorporate that into my daily schedule but when i get back but i want to try. good luck with that eh? i better finish packing and do some chores my mom gave me before i head off to the golf course for lunch...adobo fried rice! oh yeah!

GO WARRIORS!

#158 - snow day!

yesterday i woke up to a blanket of snow and wind outside my window. i didn't have much to do except hang out with friends to eat and drink coffee. what an awesome day! i've got pictures of the snow covered streets and what not, will post soon. it's been awhile since i've posted pictures. i've been very lazy with picture taking. or maybe just busy with other things. today my work was canceled so i got another day to just play. it's been awesome and i had more coffee and food with friends! i wish that was all i had to do, everyday. no real commitments, just fun and laughter. i cannot wait until june when school will be over and done with and i can have one less thing to do. it will be work, dodgeball, friends, food, etc. work cause i have to and all the others cause i want to. hopefully i'll find a job that i actually like though. well i like mine right now good enough but it's not a forever type of job.

i love coffee. i know that i shouldn't drink it too much cause it kind of makes me jittery but i love the flavor and warmth it gives me. plus it's a great excuse to hang out with friends. i feel so adult when i say "wanna get coffee?" i'm not much into the fancy espresso stuff anymore cause it's too spendy. i like a good latte now and then but good ole plain drip coffee does it for me. mmm...i think i wanna go get a cup right now!