My Adventures and Travels

Pictures, video, and details to follow but.... WE DID IT! 162 games weren't enough so we had 163. 9 innings weren't enough either so it went 13 innings. We came back from being behind 8-6 in the 13th inning to WIN! I have never seen anything like that game!

Wow. That was the best game I have EVER been to. After Friday's devastating loss, there was only a slim, slim chance of us making the playoffs. Basically, the padres had to lose both of their remaining games, and we had to win both. It was pretty sad. Well...go figure....WE DID IT! I was pretty disappointed, getting to Coors field to find San Diego winning 3-0. Because what we did didn't matter unless they lost. Well, everytime the score was shown for the san-diego-milwaukee game, the crowd went totally wild....milwaukee came back to win 11-4!! and the Rockies won in a great, 4-3 nailbiter! YAHOOOOOOOO! Even better, we are going to the tiebreaker game tomorrow for the wild card spot with the Padres- Thanks Chris! Yippee!

"Who woulda thunk?" That's a quote from mlb.com The rest of Denver just remembered that we have a baseball team. All it took was 11. Straight. Wins. And tonight, my guys are coming home to play the division leaders...AND I'll be at the game! I also heard on the radio that Vegas's odds on the Rockies WINNING the World Series are 15-1! Okay, guys, let's keep this up for 3 more games, shall we?

After last nights game, I have to celebrate (especially in case my parade is rained on soon). Padres: in 1st place for the wild card in the National League, on a 7-game winning streak, and at home. Rockies: 4.5 games back, on a 5-game winning streak, and on the road. Rockies were up 1-0 until the Padres hit a single homer in the 9th to tie it. Finally, in the 14th inning, the Rockies win it! Woohoo! Way to go, guys! Sunday update: this parade hasn't been rained on yet! Rockies swept the Padres in San Diego, winning 8 straight and moving within 1.5 games of the wild card-yippee!

This is a test blog, to see how the video upload works. The video is from the Inti Raymi celebration that went on when I was in Peru. Don't bother getting out your Spanish-English dictionaries; the ceremony is held in the Quechua language. Try not to get sea-sick! I was sitting on quite a steep hill.

I just got an email from my mom that she and Mark successfully summited Mt. Kilimanjaro-Africa's highest peak at 19,340 feet! Way to go, Mom! Next, a day off, and an African safari. Wow.

Not much is new. I've been sick for the last week. "Student A" got a hair trim, so his spider web is even spiffier, and red with blue tips (patriotic!). Also, my mom left for Tanzania, Africa on Saturday to climb Mt. Kilamanjaro! Not sure how that is spelled. So, I am dog-sitting my favorite dog, Lucy. The good: it's an excuse to leave work early, and get out and walk! The bad: she wants to walk, even when it's raining! But, she's a doll. And, watching her every now and then reminds me why I don't have a dog, though I love 'em...no yard, not home enough. Oh, also, I am actually interested in baseball in September, so that's new, the Rox are holding their own! This is unusual. And, I decided to re-read all 6 Harry Potter books before diving into #7. I'm on the 4th one. That is all, I think!

You asked, Deb. "Student A" has a different color mohawk almost every day! I think it was red the first day of school, blue the next, and then red with blue tips. Variety is nice! Today it was brown. "Student B" just showed up with this new design today. There are also plenty of pigtails, straight hair, curly hair, buzz cuts, and even a couple redheads, but no photos!

"Working is hard, that's why they call it work, and that's why they pay me to be here." That's what one of my coworkers always says, instead of complaining. She's right. Tuesday was my first day back...a half day of school, and back to school night. Then, I had to keep on going back every single day! What a shock. It's been pretty good, and totally exhausting. The beginning of the year always is, as you try to get to know the kids and build a good relationship, but not let them walk all over you, and get to know the parents, and which kids they go with, and whatever is going on with them. Oh yeah, and then there's the fact that my classroom has had standing water in it the last two mornings I have come in to work. Apparently, the drainage from the roof comes down right outside my room (it is supposed to) but then it just sits there...seeps under the building...and up through my floor. Gross, huh? And then there's the mold factor. Our custodian has...

I know it is unusual for me to make two depressing posts in a row, but Deb, you were right-this has touched me to the core. The cathedral (formation above) is gone. Since my last post I've learned that not 70%, but now 85%, of the buildings in Pisco are leveled. The silver lining is that I've now heard from almost everyone I met in Peru, and they are fine. But I can't help but wonder, what about the young man who helped arrange my tour to the islands? The woman who served me dinner, the man who played his guitar to diners for tips, the guy who carried my heavy suitcase up 3 flights of stairs, and the others with whom I had casual encounters? Honestly, it is probably better not to know. I am going to go down to the Peruvian embassy later this week with some donations, and hope to get some from coworkers as well. Thanks to mom and a couple friends for making donations to this cause, as well. Now, I guess it is time to look forward...tomorrow is our first day of school, which ...

Last night a friend sent me a text message that Peru had been hit by an earthquake, but it wasn't until today that I was able to get much information. It turns out that Pisco, south of Lima, was the hardest hit. I spent my last 2 nights in Peru, in Pisco. Now, it's 70% gone, with over 200 dead, and an impassable highway between it and Lima, or aid. This marina was only a few minutes from Pisco. I didn't take any pictures of the town, because it was, then, just an ordinary Peruvian town. Now, I can't recognize it. http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/08/16/peru.earthquake/index.html#cnnSTCVideo This 8.0 earthquake would be devastating anywhere, but especially in a 3rd world country, in a very poverty-stricken area. I don't know if any modern buildings could withstand this strength of earthquake, but most of the houses I saw in Pisco are straw and mud. 60 percent of Peruvians live on a dollar a day or less...this kind of poverty is difficult, if not impossible, to i...

On Wednesday, I climbed James Peak, elev. 13,294, with my mom. The last time I hiked it was when I was about 8 years old, with both of my parents and my brothers. (Consider, then, that my brothers were 6 and 4....what slave drivers those parents were! Just kidding, mom...) Check out these mushrooms we saw....straight out of the Smurfs! Although we had a detour of a 3 mile hike that didn't end up going up the mountain, and a VERY rough 4wd road getting to the actual trailhead, we had a great time and perfect weather. And Lucy, of course, was in dog heaven. Although the rock face looks quite intimidating, we hiked up around the back. The view from the top was amazing-it is the highest thing around for quite a ways! And of course, it's always nice to get to hang out with my mom, now that I'm back in town and the wedding craziness is over.

At the last minute, Toni decided to surprise his aunt for her 50th birthday, in Oregon. He and his sister left when he got done with work, about 3am on Friday. Since I had leadership training for school, I flew out that night and they picked me up in Portland....after about 3 hours of flight delays! I was supposed to arrive at 1010pm but by the time I got there it was about 1am. From the airport, we drove north to Long Beach in Washington state. Since it was about 430 am by that time, and there were no hotels open or with vacancies, we all caught a few hours of sleep in the car. That morning, we went to the beach (we Coloradans are always pretty excited about that). From there , we had a leisurely drive south. We stopped to see a lighthouse, and at another beach. We drove down the 101, which I've never been on before-stunning! At about 6 that night we arrived at their aunt Karen's house. The party was going full swing when we walked into the back yard. When Karen was in view, ...

I am way behind on this blogging thing! On July 27, my mom got married! I had not gotten my digital camera at that point so I still have to get the pictures from Toni. The wedding was in Golden Gate Canyon at a picnic area, outdoors. It was beautiful and the rain managed to hold off too! Afterwards we went out for lunch in Nederland at the Black Forest Inn. YUM! The next day was the party! This was held at the community hall in the canyon. While the wedding was small, the party was big. My aunt Laurie provided much of the food and the cake-Swedes out there will understand the excitement of lingonberry jam in the cake. There was excellent food, dancing, and just a good time in general. Pictures: my mom and Mark (her new hubby), the cake, my aunt Laurie and brother Carl, and an overview shot of the hall.

Yesterday, Lucy (my mom's golden retriever) and I tackled Quandary Peak, which is a 14er near Breckenridge. It is one of the easier 14ers in Colorado, and also the first one I've climbed solo (except for Lucy). We had perfect weather, Lucy made friends with every other person on the mountain, and we escaped 99 degree heat in the Denver area for a few hours. I used my old (non-digital) camera so no pics yet (I found this one online!)....but the new digital one is en route!

Last weekend we went camping at a lake called Jumbo Lake, or as Toni calls it, the Puddle on the Plains. This is a big get-together his family has every summer, and everyone brings their toys. Here are some pics!

Go on down for some pics from the Inca Trail and Islas Ballestas! Not the normal quality as they're from a disposable camera, but enjoy!

Well, I made it home safely and, fortunately, uneventfully! I even landed in Denver early, of all things! Although both flights were quite turbulent, I was able to get some sleep. Now I'm enjoying being home, sleeping in my own bed, hanging out with Toni, and playing poker! But, it's not time to pack away the sleeping bag just yet, this weekend Toni & I are going camping at some lake in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of his cousins, which they do every summer, which should be fun. More sleeping in a tent on the ground, but at least I don't have to carry everything in! When I get my photos developed I am going to get CDs too so I can post pics online, so check back in for Inca Trail, Machu Picchu, and Islas Ballestas pictures added to the posts!

I think this is a killing-time blog entry as I have a couple hours before my bus leaves, but had to check out of my hotel room already. Things I'll miss about Peru/travelling: Every meal being an adventure Every time I go somewhere, it's new Cusqueña beer and cheap Chilean wine The cost of living here! The colors The people-locals and other travelers the weirdness of looking around me and realizing, I've never even seen a single one of the plants, trees, or animals before in my life fresh seafood Things I won't miss: poverty, and little little kids begging in the streets and selling things every meal being an adventure the water, unsafe to drink roosters (so much for sleeping in) instant coffee getting lost rice stinky clothes, wearing the same pants for 7 straight days, washing said clothes in hotel sinks unheated rooms camping (at least for awhile) standing out as an obvious tourist due to blonde hair and blue eyes And finally, what I miss about home, and am looking f...

I meant to update my blog last night but the computer at my hotel was occupied, and I accidentally fell asleep at 830! But today was my tour to the Islas Ballestas and Paracas Reserve. It was great! (I admit, sometimes organized tours where someone else does all the planning can be nice). First, I had a boat trip to the Ballestas Islands. Dad, I think I now have some birds on my "life list" (if I had one) that you don't. From the boat, I saw two kinds of cormorants, Peruvian seagulls (which looked like every other seagull I have ever seen), and boobies, which really is a bird name. But even better, I saw Humboldt Penguins, sea lions, and flamingos! I never would have imagined ever seeing any of these animals in the wild, so it was pretty neat. Also saw a mysterious etching in a cliff wall, no one knows if it was made by pre-Inca cultures such as the Nazca or paracas cultures, or by pirates. A stone structure called the Catedral, lots of ocean views, and a red beach. The s...