2012...End of the World?

I just got back from seeing 2012 with my friend Steve. It was a classic "end of the world" movie. Amazing graphics; story based on Mayan calendar; over the top moments all the way along. It was an interesting flick. What caused me to want to blog about it was the fact that there were moments throughout the movie that people dealt with broken relationships. this was dealt with because of the realization that their lives would likely be done soon.

We so often take for granted our closest loved ones. We let our time be filled with unimportant things. Well, things in the grand scheme of life that are unimportant. What is important is family, loved ones, others. Not work. Not entertainment. Not technology. Nothing. Knowing this is true does not seem to stop it. I know I allow life to get in the way. I don't want to. I need to spend time with my wife and my kids, with good friends. I need to make moments. I need to take opportunities. I need to make memorable moments.

Getting up early to get in line?

Have you ever stood in line for something so you can be one of the first ones to "get it" or to "experience it?" Maybe it was standing in line to get tickets for Star Wars. Maybe you camped out at Best Buy overnight so you could get all those incredible deals. Maybe it was trying to be one of the first 250 to get a chance to get on Survivor. Yes, I am in all those camps.

For me, a big part of it is the experience with friends. It is an adventure and fun to do with others. it is also fun to be part of the "hunt." Well, This morning I got to experience a new one. And I gotta be honest with you, it is the super bargain hunter in me that caused this slightly embarrassing journey:

You see, Jeanne-Ann and I went to Old Navy last night as part of our "finish our Christmas shopping and then go on a date to a guy movie night." Well, the lady there told us that today (Saturday) they were having a huge sale and we could come back and get money back on what we bought last night. She also told us that the 1st 50 people in line would get a bracelet good for 4 movie passes if we spent $20 and she said the doors would open at 7. soooo....you know me. I love a good bargain.

I called Steve and he agreed to go. We got up and left the house at 6AM!!! to get in line. We got there about 6:20 and we were the 1st ones in line...(I kinda felt dumb, but it was fun to do with Steve). So then we put our chairs at the doors and sat in the car until two ladies got there about 6:40. Then we proceeded to wait in the bitter cold. That was when we saw a sign saying they opened at 8! The ladies had heard it was at 7 as well. I asked them if they were told this by a short Latino lady and they said yes and I started to get really mad.

Right at 7 Claire Allen, a former student of mine, shows up to open the doors right at 7 and I was like, YES!!! Unfortunately she said they didn't open the doors till 8. UGH!! So we ran over to get some Starbucks in the Mall and warm up a little.  We then walked back over and saw about 8 people in line
and at about 7:10 Claire came back out with another employee with bracelets and said we didn't have to wait in line anymore and could come back and get our stuff at 8.

Then we went back in and finished our drinks and got our pic with Santa in the Mall...and yes, we got our 4 movie passes and $5 thermals!!!!!!

(ask me sometime about how Santa tried to "extort" money from me)

Another "camping out" experience in the books.

Turn-Style Pain...Steve's birthday

This weekend we celebrated my friend Steve's birthday. He loves the outdoors and wanted to do something outside instead of going to dinner and a movie. So we played tennis, horseshoes and bocce ball. (yes, I know we sound old....haha) All fun to play with these guys. Brian, Steve, Boyd and I indulged in the wonderful day that hit 75 degrees!!! It's almost November people. I love Oregon! Anyhow, at the tennis courts is one of those turn-style things you can come in but can't go out of.

I told Steve he should try and lay on one of the bars and we could turn him and squeeze him through. He told me I should do it. So I did. Weird, usually I am the one who convinces others to do stuff like that. Well, then my "friend" Brian decided he would be the one to turn me, except when he got to the point where my butt didn't quite fit he pulled and pushed and pulled and pushed some more. Back and forth a bunch of times. It hurt, but I was laughing so hard because I wish it was me doing that. I would think it was really funny if I was on the other end of the pain.

Here is a little video of that fun moment. There are also some pics from the rest of the day too.

I went skydiving, I went rocky mountain climbing, I went...

Last weekend was our Father's Day celebration. I know, you are thinking, "Father's Day was last month!" True, but my family had to go out of town and we celebrated Mother's Day with our friends the Condellos and the Unwins. Perhaps I will write about that another day. It was fun...for the guys.

Anyhow, the girls decided we should celebrate together again. So the first time we would all be together was last weekend. I was told to wear nice clothes and a tie; to bring a sleeping bag, matches and a spoon. Steve had to bring (I can't remember) and Brian had to wear a swimsuit under his jogging pants. This was all a rouse as I walked outside to see everyone and they were not wearing what I was wearing. The girls had a great laugh about that one. Then the three guys were blindfolded.

We jumped into the car and drove off. I told Jeanne-Ann that I have an amazing sense of direction and that I would figure out where we were going. I figured out that we were in Mollala. Not bad, huh? We got out of our vehicles and were lead up to a wall where the girls took our pictures and then we turned around and took off our blindfolds. We were at Oregon Skydiving!!!!!!!

For EIGHT years I have been saying, "This is the year." Well, this is the year. We went in for training and waited...and waited...and waited. The clouds were out in full force and they don't dive when you can't see the ground. They were hoping it would happen, but not hugely optimistic. We set a new date for yesterday.

Now I had all week to get mentally ready for this great event in my life. Well, we woke up to clouds again after a week full of sun. We got there and it was still cloudy. We waited...and waited...and waited. We went to get lunch late and said if nothing by 12:30 we would jet. We waited a little bit longer and at 1:15 there was some blue spots and some activity inside. Finally the first group (from 9AM...we were at 10AM)went up.

Then it was our turn.

I realize this a bit longer than normal...but what an amazing day!


We went in and got our straps all set, put on our "really cool hats" and walked out on to the airstrip. The plane pulled up and we began the boarding process. I went in first, which meant that I would dive last. The plane went down the runway and turned around for take off. The engines roared and we began...then we slowed down. I was upfront, basically next to the pilot, and heard him tell my guide that the front tire felt flat. That was fine for take-off, but not landing. We all got out while they put air back in the tire.

Then, finally, we got back in. With roaring engines we took off. There was not a lot of wiggle room and the windows were pretty low, but we got a pretty good view of Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Hood. We climbed and climbed and climbed. It was not like taking off in a 747. The climb process was pretty slow, but it built our anticipation up a lot. Steve, Brian and I kept high fiving and knuckling each other. We were so EXCITED!!! Out of the 3 of us, Steve went first. When Steve stood at the door and I saw his face, my stomach really started to tumble around.


If you know me, you know I love to be scared and thrilled. This was THE moment. Steve went, and then Brian was up. He rollwed out with a gorgeous view behind him and then it was my turn. Looking at the propeller in front of us and the ground below my heart was elated! Then we rocked...left, right, roll! Yahoooooooooo!!! I was flying. I did it.

I was in the air. 13,100 feet above the ground. I told Kirk, my guide, to have fun and spin all he wanted. I was thinking when the chute had deployed. He started to spin moments after we jumped. Faster and faster. It was like when you are on one of those playground "merry-go-rounds" and you look up, but you are looking down. Then he kicked his legs to the other side and he spun us the other way. I wondered if I would get queasy, but I never did. One more spin on both sides and then suddenly YANK! He opened the chute and we began to float. Wow!

We had a very serene floating moment and then he asked if I wanted to steer. Of course! So he told me to pull down on the one side and we began to spin. Haha! More spinning. It was crazy cool. We went all the way flat in a spin. Then he had me pull the other side and we spun the other way. Then I pulled both. Weightlessness. When we would spin, there was an intense amount of pressure on my legs. They began to lose circulation but it didn't matter. It was like the pain I enjoyed from the sunburns I would get on my college spring break trips to Florida. I didn't care that it hurt, I was just glad I got color.

Steve landed first and Brian and I landed at almost the exact same time.

It is hard to explain the feelings I had. Excitement, thrill, joy, bits of momentary fear, smile, trust, weightlessness, bodily stress, stomach whirl. If there were a word for that combination, that's what it would be.

You gotta go.

Seriously, I mean it. You must go skydiving. this is your sign!