The three day needle-o-rama is over, thankfully. Sunday's needle-fun was finishing up the my chest piece tattoo. (It looked done to me, but Marcus found another hour's worth of perfection to ink into me. It looks even better now!) Monday was less needly fun, but necessary. I got Supartz shots in both knees in preparation for my upcoming trip. Arthritis sucks, and that's all I'll say about that. Yesterday was travel vaccine day: tetanus shot, polio booster, and Hep A vaccine. I nicely declined Rabies vaccines and Japanese Encephalitis (!?!). All set for India and Nepal now.
Speaking of needles, it occured to me that if Amy Winehouse hooked up with Pete Doherty we could watch a modern day Sid and Nancy implosion. You heard it here first. They're a match waiting to happen.
August 29, 2007
August 26, 2007
Five Weeks
Yep, I leave for Nepal in five weeks. It's starting to seem real. I get my shots this week. I have my Nepalese visa. I got my new pack, a Granite Gear. I also bought a new pair of hiking boots since mine are not up to the challenge.
This morning I decided to take said new pair of hiking boots for a break-in hike. Nothing too crazy, just a couple miles in Redwood Regional. New boots, new socks. (No first aid kit, either, see where this is going....?) I'm out there for a while and I'm feeling some burning on my heels that lets me know a blister is wanting to happen. I undo my shoes, rearrange my socks and hope for the best while heading off on another loop. (Note to self: this would have been a good time to head for the car!) I have my ipod and am hiking along. The friction is getting worse.
"Don't add suffering to your pain." This Buddhist inspired thought ran through my had. Scratch that, it became my friggin' mantra. The friction turned into fire. Just Breathe, Jen. Except that only works for so long. When the fire turned into a stabbing knife, I stopped and took my boots and socks off again. Well, that explains the pain, I thought. There was open, exposed raw skin about the size of two quarters on each foot. One still had a bit of protective skin flap on it, so it hurt less. The exposed one was the massive "sensation".
Did I mention I didn't have a first aid kit? Did I mention that I'm a Wilderness First Responder so I know how dumb it is to not have one? Right. I looked in my bag for something to help get me out of this mess. Score! I had a banana! I carefully wrapped strips of the banana peel around each heel. It was comfortingly cool. It also provided just enough buffer that I could get back to the car, maybe another mile or so. I took off, wincing, and moved (hobbly hiked?) as quickly as I could.
I am pleased at my resourcefulness in the face of my own stupidity.
These boots have some issues to work out if they're going to Nepal.
This morning I decided to take said new pair of hiking boots for a break-in hike. Nothing too crazy, just a couple miles in Redwood Regional. New boots, new socks. (No first aid kit, either, see where this is going....?) I'm out there for a while and I'm feeling some burning on my heels that lets me know a blister is wanting to happen. I undo my shoes, rearrange my socks and hope for the best while heading off on another loop. (Note to self: this would have been a good time to head for the car!) I have my ipod and am hiking along. The friction is getting worse.
"Don't add suffering to your pain." This Buddhist inspired thought ran through my had. Scratch that, it became my friggin' mantra. The friction turned into fire. Just Breathe, Jen. Except that only works for so long. When the fire turned into a stabbing knife, I stopped and took my boots and socks off again. Well, that explains the pain, I thought. There was open, exposed raw skin about the size of two quarters on each foot. One still had a bit of protective skin flap on it, so it hurt less. The exposed one was the massive "sensation".
Did I mention I didn't have a first aid kit? Did I mention that I'm a Wilderness First Responder so I know how dumb it is to not have one? Right. I looked in my bag for something to help get me out of this mess. Score! I had a banana! I carefully wrapped strips of the banana peel around each heel. It was comfortingly cool. It also provided just enough buffer that I could get back to the car, maybe another mile or so. I took off, wincing, and moved (hobbly hiked?) as quickly as I could.
I am pleased at my resourcefulness in the face of my own stupidity.
These boots have some issues to work out if they're going to Nepal.
August 4, 2007
Body Mod
I am sportin' two new body mods. One fairly temporary, one fairly permanent.
I spent my birthday on an airplane, making it kind of anti-birthday to someone like me. Birthdays are a big day in my book. August 1st commenced the start of staffdom. Bothing things were taken into consideration when I....pierced my lip! I've wanted to do it for years. After the swelling goes down and healing is progressing, I'll swap out this post for a snug little hoop that will sit prettily on my lower lip, right corner. It didn't even hurt! I am learning to talk and eat with this thing. Wee bit tricky.
Also got hennaed today. Darcy from the Henna Lounge was over at Namaste Yoga in Rockridge, so I called to get adorned. My birthday present to myself! Darcy is so sweet, and so talented. It was fun! Before Nepal, Darcy will henna my knees for their luck, and also do a belly henna for preggo Justine.
I figured with a staff gig, they can't do anything about it. I had to look a little more pro as a freelancer, not now! Paul's out of town, and the body mod bug has been biting. Also bought two boxes of semi-perm hair dye, so I can still have more fun!
I spent my birthday on an airplane, making it kind of anti-birthday to someone like me. Birthdays are a big day in my book. August 1st commenced the start of staffdom. Bothing things were taken into consideration when I....pierced my lip! I've wanted to do it for years. After the swelling goes down and healing is progressing, I'll swap out this post for a snug little hoop that will sit prettily on my lower lip, right corner. It didn't even hurt! I am learning to talk and eat with this thing. Wee bit tricky.
Also got hennaed today. Darcy from the Henna Lounge was over at Namaste Yoga in Rockridge, so I called to get adorned. My birthday present to myself! Darcy is so sweet, and so talented. It was fun! Before Nepal, Darcy will henna my knees for their luck, and also do a belly henna for preggo Justine.
I figured with a staff gig, they can't do anything about it. I had to look a little more pro as a freelancer, not now! Paul's out of town, and the body mod bug has been biting. Also bought two boxes of semi-perm hair dye, so I can still have more fun!
August 3, 2007
In a (visual) nutshell
Want to see photos from our backpacking trip of the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne? Michelle, friend and professional shutterbabe, took these photos of our trip. Take a look.
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