tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22571881422679295512011-07-07T14:14:19.589-07:00Life is zooming by, are you willing to chase it?The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.comBlogger3271100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-90814442470154941192011-03-28T09:07:00.008-07:002011-03-28T10:36:38.319-07:00

Well my well of emotions for which I felt the need to chronicle publicly has apparently dried up for awhile. Once you stop blogging, it is hard to restart.Clinical rotations have been awesome and time consuming. I get the pleasure of paying to go to work every day and then additionally have the responsibility of coming home and studying at night. It is sort of sucked my additional resources to

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-25268227455494522192010-07-02T11:04:00.007-07:002010-07-02T13:43:20.553-07:00

Hmmm. Well that was some blog hiatus, like 2 months. I tried to write several times, but no words would flow from my soul to my fingers. I think that happens sometimes. I won't allow myself to beat myself up over it. I don't have the energy.Things have dramatically changed in here the hot land of bees and havalinas. First, I finished all my classes, took my end of year exam and began the

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-82324986478428635662010-05-02T18:12:00.003-07:002010-05-02T18:34:50.023-07:00

My blog is slowly turning yellow and dying, much like the house plants that I can't seem to keep alive. I am fighting the good fight and will occasionally water them too much, but really I just don't seem to have time or energy for blogging or watering.I think that this thing I am doing, while being one of the best things I have ever done, has filled me up and sucked me dry. I waited all year

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-86928570225240702010-03-08T19:44:00.008-07:002010-03-08T22:08:31.998-07:00

What's up cyberworld?Is it crappy weather where you live? I know, that is why I didn't visit you over spring break and took a mini tour-a-az instead.I am back in school after a fantastic week off in which I did fun fun things all within a couple of hours of my house. Did I mention that I love Arizona?Firstly, I played in a hat ultimate frisbee tournament and my team won which was a lovely way

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-27067585691228616942010-02-19T21:26:00.004-07:002010-02-19T21:55:19.570-07:00

Hola from the library on a Friday night. This weekend will be spent right here in this lovely wooden cubicle with my 4 giant binders full of the material still to be learned for next week's 6 thats right SIX finals. I am about to finish what has been my most difficult academic 10 weeks of my life and it can't come any sooner. But through it all, I gotta say: "I feel so lucky to be where I right

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-60985243338468836752010-01-30T21:38:00.003-07:002010-01-30T21:49:37.621-07:00

So in the middle of a manic extreme study weekend but I had to pop in to tell about this dude at the library.I go to the library at around 10:00 am on today (Saturday). I pack a snack, lunch, and lots of liquids cause I planned to shut this bitch down at 6 pm tonight (which I did). Pick a table by a plug so I can listen to my tunes all day long with the necessary charging on my iphone (did I

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-40757785764975070012010-01-11T20:34:00.003-07:002010-01-11T20:58:32.333-07:00

Checking in on a rare off night from studying. I just plain don't feel like doing any mostly because I got 2.5 hours of sleep last night and I can't comprehend new knowledge right about now.This quarter is killing me slowly, one sleepless night at a time.But on a higher note, my brain feels like it is all starting to come together in a weird medical sort of way where I am doing really really

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-44291088254628700812009-12-20T18:59:00.002-07:002009-12-20T19:11:47.414-07:00

Am I still alive...in a word yes. Back to school for 3 weeks now and we are just getting in some last minute tests before a short holiday break. The holidays won't be quite like normal due to having some major exams the day we return to school on Jan. 4th. Bah humbug.My Thanksgiving break was awesome and I was very sad to see it end, but I did have a great trip out East, did some fun biking

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-24788399095025452822009-11-13T19:34:00.001-07:002009-11-13T19:37:30.864-07:00

Finals are done. Seven finals in 6 days...brutal. I am still delirious but 'oh so happy'.Heading off to grab a brew and listen to some live music.Hopefully my brain muscle will get a break and my body muscle can take over for two weeks. I am going to ride till I puke tomorrow...it will be awesome.

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-37302912639495184602009-11-08T23:24:00.002-07:002009-11-08T23:28:15.135-07:00

I can almost taste the dirt and sweat that is awaiting my return to fun outdoor activities following finals this week.Five days, six tests...let's do this thing. This Friday can't come soon enough.I promise to post at least one outdoor action shot, maybe even some blood if I get lucky enough to fall off my bike :)

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-62422528829442138182009-10-17T08:15:00.003-07:002009-10-26T20:42:50.011-07:00

I am burnt out and sick right now...but there is no rest for me yet. I got up at 4:30 am for a test this morning and am feeling it right now. I have two weeks of school and then finals left in this quarter. This is by far the hardest mental challenge I have ever done. The amount of information I am cramming in is ridiculous...I worry, how much will I retain? Will I feel like an idiot when I

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-75066294040883135342009-09-26T10:45:00.005-07:002009-09-26T11:10:18.198-07:00

Apparently it is almost October. Time flys when you are having fun or stuck in a bubble of "learnens". Definition of "THE BUBBLE": when life receeds as I sit in the library on a Friday night and only when I get up to leave at 10 pm do I feel tired or hungry or in the need of a work out and only then do I remember that I have an hour drive home to a home and a husband.My transformation is

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-89779160133566230562009-09-04T13:59:00.003-07:002009-09-04T14:12:57.016-07:00

I will give you two words in which to base your judgement of me: surviving and thriving.I will give you one word in which to base your judgement of this blog: dead.It is hard to understand why I am not blogging at all. Part of it is obvious...I don't have a whole lot of extra time. But really it is more than that, because I could jot off a quick blog entry every couple of days or even weekly

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-61886121814036267522009-08-16T12:58:00.004-07:002009-08-16T17:11:07.888-07:00

POP QUIZ: Where is Hannah?A). She was kidnapped by aliens.B.) She fell off her bike and broke all fingers and can't type with her tongue.C.) She is stuck in the middle of finals week and can't wait until next Thursday when she will have a glorious 10 days off from the endurance sprint that is known as PA school.If you guess correctly, you can help yourself to a cookie from the jar of will it

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-19713667065053540072009-07-29T21:15:00.005-07:002009-07-29T21:40:54.697-07:00

Ummm yeah....so about the blog....Sort of haven't had any time to write lately. Or hike. Or bike. Or do any sort of "fun" activity. My life has been consumed with school. I go from one test to another with the feeling of cram between each one. I am surviving and thriving, but it takes a lot of work.I have discovered, that I am smart enough and hard working enough and have enough dedication

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-39198803252937573852009-07-12T10:27:00.005-07:002009-07-12T10:33:48.926-07:00

On Friday I was conducting a mock chief complaint, history, and review of systems with a paid actor who happened to be an older man complaining of a red eye. Our school hires people to be difficult and they video tape us to see how we handle things. As he started yelling at me when I asked him about his sexual history (we were supposed to), I realized how bizarre the whole situation was. Five

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-57794229655599420372009-07-06T23:33:00.005-07:002009-07-06T23:46:51.085-07:00

There is a reason that I have all but dropped off the face of the earth. Let me give you a taste of today which I assure you is very much the norm during the week. It changes on the weekends where it is just study for 14 hours straight.6 am - Up, pack clothes to wear to school, lunch, coffee, and bookbag.6:30 - 7:30 am - Out the door for my 1 hour commute while listening to anatomy lectures.7:

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-31797645016284079822009-06-29T21:15:00.002-07:002009-06-29T21:26:43.162-07:00

Argh...can't believe I haven't posted in over a week.I am hanging in there. I just finished my first two big exams in both anatomy and biochemistry and guess what, am already behind in both classes. We have our exams at 6:30 am so that we don't "have" to miss any class...I call bull$h*t. I am starting to figure this school thing out to a degree. It is 5x more intense than my previous

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-57587383977630646502009-06-19T07:56:00.003-07:002009-06-19T08:19:31.941-07:00

For today's blog update...see last week's.No seriously. More fire hose drinking, more dead bodies, more insane amounts of anatomy stuffed into a brain that had been on a mental diet for the last 3.5 years.We have our first exam next week which covers 1/4 of the body. It is a four hour exam. Yes I realize that I have only had 2 weeks of school. This is how we PAs roll.I am going to be spending

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-10028239283485378882009-06-13T10:55:00.004-07:002009-06-13T11:20:52.443-07:00

Wow...can't believe it has almost only been a week since I have posted. During orientation, they told us that the pace of learning would feel like we were trying to take a drink out of a fire hose.We all laughed then. It is so true. We had four days of class this week, and I can't even believe how much information we both learned and are responsible for learning. We had 8 separate anatomy

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-35800086022630641182009-06-07T18:40:00.002-07:002009-06-07T22:50:49.110-07:00

Orientation is over in all it's amazing glory.  Two days of 8 hours of presentations...fun fun.This is what I learned.1.  We can have a keg on campus but don't get drunk.2.  Don't cheat.  No one wants a doctor who cheated their way through school.3.  Wear old clothes to anatomy lab.  Dissecting bodies is grusome business.4.  Expect to get stressed/anxious/depressed.  Apparently PA students use

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-53058251886360684362009-06-02T11:13:00.008-07:002009-06-02T13:14:10.752-07:00

My ticket on the unemployed with nothing to do train is coming to an end. It was a great 2 .5 week ride while it lasted.I can't keep track of all the fun things I did...and I am finally getting into shape again. But alas, tomorrow begins the new journey of excitement and good times studying in the library so cheetos and flappy arms here I come.Orientation is tomorrow. I am excited to meet my

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-27488552922666984512009-05-29T18:05:00.007-07:002009-05-29T19:04:08.383-07:00

I got tired of my old header so I made a new one rather than create a substantive blog post. This is my last free weekend before orientation next Wednesday. Maybe I will find the motivation to blog when I start school again and maybe I won't have anytime...we'll see.Moab was sick, really really awesome sick. We biked Slick Rock Trail and Porcupine Rim Trail (with no shuttle...brutal ride to the

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-46399432376327889212009-05-20T10:40:00.007-07:002009-05-22T14:45:04.364-07:00

My first week off of work, and I am slacking in the blogging department...tssk tssk. Mission heat biking acclimation isn't going to do itself.So I have a recommendation for any adventurers out there in the Four Corners area. Get off your duff and make a reservation to hike through Buckskin Gulch..it is worth it.I have done slot canyons before and I have hiked along rivers many many times, but

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-85877148408963113522009-05-14T16:32:00.002-07:002009-05-14T16:47:43.668-07:00

Tomorrow is my last day of work. It sounds so crazy to me.Almost exactly two years ago, on May 7th 2007, I posted my first official blog entry (after my introductory post) as seen here.In this post I wrote about my feelings of unsatisfaction I had with regards to my job and my purpose in life. This was one of the main reasons I started blogging, to force myself to analyze and confront emotions

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-21712088709499328842009-05-12T17:24:00.005-07:002009-05-12T18:33:07.590-07:00

Two weekends ago, before I hiked 21 miles down Buckskin Gulch (which was awesome btw, pics and recap coming soon), Sarah and I took a trip up to Black Canyon to do a little biking. I had never been up to this area before, but it is only about 30 miles north of the Phoenix metropolis so it is a nice quick drive up there.We took off from the northern most point on the Black Canyon Trail and rode

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-36511753025246285572009-05-05T16:15:00.002-07:002009-05-06T01:25:21.495-07:00

Things are looking up my friends. I can count the days left spent in by 6x6 personal box on less than two hands and I have a 3 day trip hiking the Buckskin Gulch Canyon this weekend which I am pretty jazzed about.I had a very laid back but nice weekend wherein I learned about the death process of bees. It may sound traumatic, and actually it was. I know the bees rights people may send me nasty

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-38693452067814659112009-04-29T09:22:00.010-07:002009-04-29T10:35:32.458-07:00

Still kicking it. T MINUS 9ish days and counting. I am starting to wrap up things at work and beat people into submission until they agree to take over my projects. I am not that important in the grand scheme of my company but I have met with great resistance in transitioning my projects because I am the only one in my team doing what I am doing and it may be *gasp* 'a lot of work' to try to

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-15285268201362448502009-04-24T09:43:00.005-07:002009-04-24T16:01:19.036-07:00

I went shopping over my lunch break day and I spent my five years of sweat and servitude at my company in one $24.99 moment of toilet paper and paper towel bliss. That's right, our 5 year service award which I received two days before putting in my quitters notice was a $25 gift card to Target. Oh how high I rose up the ladder of success before throwing it all away.Maybe If I had stuck around

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-88416887958480771542009-04-22T14:44:00.004-07:002009-04-22T15:16:06.758-07:00

Urban Assault Ride: Road Bikes 1, Mountain Bikes 0This past weekend was a return to action for me. Time to get back out on the bike after a long hiatus in Ohio and time to get the competitive juices flowing once again.I spent Saturday morning struggling through one of those ride where you and the bike are not one. I changed a flat tire on Friday night in my garage, and that $7.99 tube lasted

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-24022517080573147952009-04-17T17:32:00.003-07:002009-04-17T17:41:32.080-07:00

So I have been bummer lately that due to my inability to run, I have had to give up many of the adventure racing type competitions that I so enjoy. I know I can always walk the trekking parts, but I hate being non competitive in something I am spending money on.Well, this weekend I finally found an awesome substitute. There is a bike scavenger hunt in Tucson called the Urban Assault Ride which

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-32768048029757868082009-04-13T18:35:00.007-07:002009-04-13T19:06:35.115-07:00

I am finally back in the land of sand and sun and it feels good. I miss the desolation of the desert when I am away for long. I have a burning desire to go climb a hot dusty mountain or bike down a rocky cactus strewn path. While I love home and love my family, this place has definitely become part of the fabric of me.It have a strange feeling right now, and by now, I mean for the last couple

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-18348528283054345862009-04-11T13:49:00.003-07:002009-04-11T14:03:18.858-07:00

I am now getting yelled at for not blogging. I suppose this is the highlight of my blogging career.I have been in Ohio for a week now and have successfully gotten the sister married off. I have also successfully taken a walk through a snow storm, spread shit on a garden and then tilled it, planted 300 bulbs of lillies, tromped through a muddy creek, and have brought both my parents and Tom's

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-28403501986370814232009-03-30T16:52:00.001-07:002009-03-31T10:35:58.210-07:00

So my sister Sarah is getting married this weekend so I am off to Ohio in a couple of days for a much needed 10 day R&R in the motherland. I am super happy for Sarah, as her husband to be seems to be the perfect fit for her. Sarah was the sister closest in age to me (1.5 years older) and I can honestly say that she is definitely interwoven into the person I have become today.We grew up in a

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-47912566087129638262009-03-24T16:27:00.002-07:002009-03-25T17:03:44.803-07:00

So I am sure that you have noticed that I am not blogging as much as I previously did. I feel like this is as much of a reflection on some large changes in my life more than me just not wanting to blog.Firstly, I have been busy with life. Work is no joke now that the cat is out of the bag and they know I am leaving. Micro-mangement anyone? They want me to get done everything planned for the

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-11751519445760579082009-03-17T14:38:00.000-07:002009-03-18T10:25:35.236-07:00

Lake at Papago Park in Tempe: home of the Tuesday night STP rides.My left hand is a little sore right now, but that is okay. It is to be expected. You see, I keep tipping over while I ride my bike and catching myself with my hand. Why, you might ask?Well I finally did it. Last weekend I graduated to clipless pedals on my bike which for those who are bike illiterate means they actually have

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-32287522527258724302009-03-12T15:10:00.002-07:002009-03-12T15:33:48.386-07:00

YO. CAN I GET A WAT WAT?I am in a good mood today for no apparent reason. Tis almost Friday and tis beautiful out. Next week is spring break so that means no night classes and I am headed to Vegas next weekend to meet up with my old OSUWRFC rugby buddies and it is going to be the BOMB. I will have to strap it on because I have gotten quite soft and wimpy in my old age, going to bed at

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-24672603148653983782009-03-08T20:55:00.002-07:002009-03-09T14:00:47.611-07:00

Springtime In The Desert: Papago ParkThis weekend was all about fun riding. No speed, no pressure, no pain. Just moseying along with friends with lots of stopping to enjoy the flowers. Springtime is coming to the desert.Saturday I took an old friend who moved away but was back for a visit to McDowell Mountain Park. Flowers were beautiful and the weather was perfect. It was great to see her

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-80347669911098620422009-03-05T10:16:00.004-07:002009-03-05T11:06:29.627-07:00

I heard back from my orthopedic surgeon's PA. She basically verified what I already knew which was that I have a large (16x19mm) cartilage defect on my medial femoral condoyle. This basically means that the area where my femur rests on my tibia is bone on bone for a large section. I can feel this because my inner right knee aches when I run, jump, etc. and swells first. See diagram below for

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-83537229399225689512009-03-02T10:27:00.004-07:002009-03-02T16:09:55.376-07:00

So my blogging is off. I am in a mental funk. Mostly because I have been forced take the past two weeks off from all exercise due to my shitty knee. It puts me in a bad mood because really I am addicted to the endorphins of exercise and I actually crave the fix.I had a contrast MRI done on my knee about a week and a half ago. This is basically where they inject 25 CCs of dye into your knee to

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-66461482119811414182009-02-23T15:40:00.005-07:002009-02-23T17:06:09.128-07:00

Because each day at work becomes more painful than the last, I did something stupid awesome today. I counted up the days I have left to daily persuade myself not to do anything rash, like respond to one of my countless daily emails with a big screw you.Forty Five. 45. 15x3. 9x5. I think I prefer 3x3x5. This seem like less days than the other ones.Anyway I break it down, it is manageable.

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-2776217720490572982009-02-19T11:25:00.003-07:002009-02-19T14:03:15.337-07:00

Me rolling through the camping ground at the end of my first lap at Pueblo. This part of the course was always my favorite...right before the end, hammering allowed.Photo courtesy of Ms. Behrens.Hi guys!Do you notice anything different about me? Nope, not a new hair cut. Well yes, my knee is more swollen than normal, but no that is not it. Ah yes, I do look older since yesterday was my 28th

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-70389507195626921482009-02-17T21:49:00.004-07:002009-02-18T00:42:39.986-07:00

Chollas are abundent on this course. I haven't had much motivation to write about this race because I am not quite sure what to say. My #1 overall feeling is disappointment in my own performance. My #2 overall feeling is that it was a lot of fun and I wish I could have a do over.The rock drop...where everyone watches you hoping you will wreck.Julie comes over the rock which is right at finish

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-65122650197268586722009-02-12T17:06:00.002-07:002009-02-12T17:12:46.044-07:00

Well I am getting pretty pumped to race this weekend. Live results can be seen here and I am riding with Team Zumbala in the four person women's open division.I will try to take some pics/video of the start because it is a crazy scene with hundreds of riders running down the road. Really if you get a chance to visit 24 Hour Town, it is worth it.I shall now work on learning by repetition:"My

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-1899784139687586802009-02-09T23:26:00.008-07:002009-02-09T23:49:24.422-07:00

Photo from last year's 2008 24 HOP, credit Epic RidesLast year, I nearly froze my ass off riding around in circles in the desert at the 24 Hour of Old Pueblo. It was freakishly cold and my 3am to 5am lap involved the presence of snow which needless to say wasn't fun. I signed up again this year with the warm knowledge that we couldn't have freakishly cold weather two years in a row...it just

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-88614008251718487542009-02-04T14:36:00.003-07:002009-02-04T14:57:03.291-07:00

[Upon rereading this blog, I will warn you that it is really quite random and may not be at all entertaining. You have been warned.]Hello gang. I wish I could blog something witty or funny but my creative juices are currently being ravished by something known as deliverables. Do you know what deliverables are? A deliverable as a noun, is the evil corporate term for something that needs to be

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-30762131960555896302009-01-30T11:32:00.008-07:002009-01-30T16:24:25.942-07:00

Okay time to get away from my controversial posts and get back to my more boring typical post. Guess what? It's FRIDAY!!This weekend is looking rather nice with sunny 70 degree days and the Arizona Cards in the Superbowl. Tomorrow I hope to get a nice long ride in to get ready for the 24 Hours of Old Pueblo in two weeks. My team is in the four person women's division and I am going to be the

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-22935045715842243292009-01-28T11:25:00.003-07:002009-01-28T11:51:18.689-07:00

Last night I was asked a question that made me think. The question was this: What do you think is unpatriotic? Well after some debate, I went with the obvious: instant coffee. But really, in all seriousness, I think that Mr. Limbaugh's comments about hoping that President Obama fails is about the most unpatriotic thing you can do. Seriously. You would hope for the country to remain in a

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-19963863352675055222009-01-27T10:57:00.003-07:002009-01-27T11:31:30.169-07:00

Just in case anyone cares, yesterday's count for the BMI (bathroom mystery investigation) was dark stall: unflushed 2x and half light stall: flushed 2x. So we are still seeing the systematic odd behavior symptoms associated with darkened stalls and memory loss. Interesting.In other news, we no longer have cable television but with youtube and Hulu's new HD streaming options, there has been no

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-12352220549958747462009-01-22T14:30:00.002-07:002009-01-22T14:36:01.400-07:00

So I noticed something weird at work today. There seems to be a direct correlation between light in a bathroom stall and flushing the toilet. Random? Yes. True? Right on.So due to our recent economic collapse and the subsequent tightening of budget, the bathrooms at my work have started turning off one of the two lights over the three stalls. That leaves one dark stall, one half dark stall,

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-74634415330649592232009-01-20T12:25:00.007-07:002009-01-21T09:42:20.169-07:00

Fossil Creek on MLK Day (Photo taken by Sarah)I decided to take a floating holiday on Monday since my work doesn't believe in celebrating the King. Really, it was just that my friends had off and were planning a little adventure and I really really wanted to join.We headed up to the Verde Valley area and bumped over the dirt road for an hour to get to the Verde River. Our destination was a

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-15000039265949784842009-01-16T13:23:00.004-07:002009-01-16T18:29:07.489-07:00

Today, I decided to take some nerve and call the PA medical school that I have been trying to get into. I was told that they would probably decide who to accept on Thursday and would then send out a letter in the mail next week, but since I didn't want to wait, I thought I would give them a call. I was really freaked out to call them because I was so scared of what the answer would be. If a

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-43004696120076639262009-01-13T19:17:00.003-07:002009-01-13T20:42:04.700-07:00

Well it is over. Phew. The interview really was not what I was expecting. There was way less face time than I expected with only one 45 minute panel interview where two PAs simultaneously interviewed three of us at the same time. With three of us answering the same typical questions, you had to constantly adapt your answer so that it is not the same as the person who went before you. Nothing

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-60466250457356800612009-01-12T14:24:00.007-07:002009-01-12T14:56:48.959-07:00

This past weekend was busy just as I knew it would be. First, I had to win a 6 person poker tournament on Friday night where I beat my husband head to head for the $5 buy in pot. Sorry bout that babe. Secondly, I did get a good four hour bike ride in on Saturday in the Pima/Dynamite area of Scottsdale. It is always great to bike in new places and this wild high desert area is pretty damn

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-76464346618756372372009-01-08T16:47:00.000-07:002009-01-09T11:26:16.716-07:00

My mind feels stuffy and full. There is a level of nerves and stress that is simmering through my blood stream that I can't get rid of. It has nothing to do with the fact that I have lots of Monday morning deadlines at work which will ensure a full weekend of effort. Nor is it really accounting the fact that I have a 24 hour bike race in around a month that I really need to be riding my bike

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-91820146730506657302009-01-06T16:21:00.009-07:002009-01-06T17:01:35.917-07:00

The Buckeyes second home, the Fiesta Bowl. And just like the annual Christmasscrabble tournament, you win some, you lose some.Although I did manage to get a B in organic chemistry last semester, I am pretty sure I am pulling a solid F (or E at The Ohio State) in blogging. I have been relaxing, entertaining guests, watching college football, riding my bike and generally just not in the mood to

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-8117170303750104632009-01-01T16:21:00.003-07:002009-01-01T16:38:07.780-07:00

Happy New Years from the Grand Canyon &Sedona

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-6644780496601650522008-12-29T10:53:00.020-07:002008-12-29T15:48:00.434-07:00

Day one found here.Day two on the Incan trail dawned with beautiful sunshine and an excitement in the air. Leaving the camp, the trail immediately heads straight up for nearly 4000 feet of climbing to the top of the Warmiwanusca Pass (Dead Women's Pass) at 13,700 ft. We ate our delicious warm breakfast and quickly packed up our bags to head out.The day was sunny and beautiful, much like all of

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-21077107681768050252008-12-26T19:29:00.014-07:002008-12-27T08:22:58.098-07:00

Christmas in Phoenix...oh its good.Did you have a good Christmas? We stayed in town this year not traveling to Ohio due to our recent trip to South America and although we missed our families, it was really nice to relax and just do nothing.Sorry my blogs have been MIA, but you know, holiday eating was very time consuming. I will return to the Incan trail at some point soon. Besides eating, I

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-12634542498980651122008-12-19T09:58:00.009-07:002008-12-19T15:46:41.629-07:00

The morning of the trek, our guide company picked us up at our hostel for a two hour van ride out to the start of the trek. Since our party was small (4 guests, 1 guide, 3 porters and a cook), we all fit in the van and got to know each other. The drive was beautiful, just beautiful. Two hours through what is known as the Sacred Valley area which consists of many small farming communities where

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-17245491281807698252008-12-18T09:40:00.004-07:002008-12-18T09:57:55.231-07:00

Done with my Organic Chem final :/ thank God.It was terrible. I am pretty sure I did really really bad, but the good news is that it shouldn't really matter (unless I did really really really bad).As long as I get a C in the class and actually get accepted into school in January, my grade won't matter.I also signed up for classes for spring quarter which I may be forced to take if I get into

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-63122328630876585822008-12-16T15:27:00.005-07:002008-12-16T15:39:55.575-07:00

**Rant Alert**I was recently moved to a new jail cell cubicle on a different floor and my new grid neighbor from a completely different work group is incredibly loud, rude and annoying. And they talk loud on the phone all day long. The fact that I have known this person for awhile and pegged them as the most annoying person EVER in the history of annoying people that I will totally go out of

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-79531120799107668312008-12-15T17:57:00.014-07:002008-12-18T10:58:38.074-07:00

A beautiful church in Plaza De Armas. We only spent 16 hours in Ecuador before jetting over to Cusco, Peru via Lima (for about 7 hours overnight). Cusco was a magical city. The first impression of it is that is so just soooo Peruvian Andes...cause it is. The women and children look and dress just like you would imagine they do. Yes, it is touristy and they very much cater to the international

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-64557882506341123122008-12-12T10:23:00.008-07:002008-12-12T13:43:21.440-07:00

We is cheap. So upon booking travel to South America, we took the cheap option which required exactly 10 separate legs of flights. Surprisingly, in a never before recorded moment of history, we had exactly zero delays, bag lossages, or flight shenanigans through the trip. Thank you karma. I knew that the universe owed me for those two consecutive ACL tears.Our first big stop upon the start of

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-23980028712766164882008-12-10T21:42:00.005-07:002008-12-10T22:08:57.766-07:00

Homemade porter pack... they are tough dudes.We returned to reality from vacay on Monday evening but then I had to descend into a hibernation cocoon to study for my Organic Chemistry exam which was today. The exam was okay, but the vacation: well lets just say it was awesome.I don't think I can blog everything we did for 16 days so I will prob just pick some of the highlights and work them in

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-8468089831752298492008-11-29T20:28:00.004-07:002008-12-10T21:34:35.983-07:00

Hola amigos. We are having a wonderful time on our vacay. We have completed the Incan trek to Machu Picchu and are back in Lima for a day before heading back to Ecuador. It was truly an amazing hike. We had a personalized tour for just us four with a guide, a cook, and thee young porters to carry our stuff. We found out that we are all super fast hikers especially at the high altitude stuff

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-84141242262466164972008-11-21T02:37:00.000-07:002008-11-21T14:40:35.899-07:00

I am in a ridiculously good mood. I will leave it up to you to decipher the reason for this. Here is a hint: something about packing for a 16 day adventure along with saying adios to something that resembles a small gray box which I normally sit in for 8 hours a day. Don't tax your brain too hard if you can't figure it out.I also got some other really good news this morning that more deals

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-4448042167524355202008-11-19T10:12:00.004-07:002008-11-19T10:20:37.752-07:00

Angel and I took a night hike up the Morman Trail on South Mountain last night. It was a perfect night: 70s with a gentle breeze in a quiet that seemed unreal as the trail overlooked the busy bustling city most of the time. I have never done this trail in the day and it seemed very nice with lots of cactus surrounding (my fav).I tried to get some good night pics with the simple settings on my

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-87520696822606255282008-11-18T15:48:00.002-07:002008-11-18T16:17:36.745-07:00

I spent most of the weekend studying for Organic Chem and doing all of my assignments for the next two weeks and getting ready for the big trip. I got a raincoat and some warm socks from the ole REI in order to complete my cold/rainy hiking wardrobe. I am getting pretty excited about hiking in the Peruvian Andes. The pictures I have seen are awesome.In order to prepare for four days of hiking

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-21845454486174914082008-11-14T15:43:00.005-07:002008-11-14T15:54:49.481-07:00

So we are getting our last minute preparations for Ecuador/Peru done this weekend. We leave next Saturday...woohooo!! Which means I need to break in the new Solomons because I realized that my old ones were falling apart and had holes in them and that might be a bad things in the rainy season of the Inca Trail while hiking for four days.Lately I have been single handedly trying to get our

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-88493810497418881362008-11-12T19:25:00.000-07:002008-11-13T10:58:37.655-07:00

Bad bad blogger. I am up in Portland for work right now and guess what...its raining!! Shocker I know. I am about to head downstairs for a conference dinner which is scheduled to last four hours. Please, someone... anyone... shoot me now. So I will have to keep this race report short much to your benefit I am sure.This past weekend was the 24 Hour of Fury at McDowell Mountain Park. My team

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-9479088552473403852008-11-05T16:20:00.004-07:002008-11-05T16:40:27.818-07:00

What can I say. What can anyone say. Watching history be made is never something to take for granted. I am trying to soak it all in.America has been so apathetic about politics since I came of voting age in the past decade mostly because when you don't have hope of making a difference, you stop caring. That apathy is now gone. There is an energy that ran through our country, regardless of

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-34114539192804882992008-11-04T09:31:00.004-07:002008-11-04T16:27:31.536-07:00

U. S. A.!!! U. S. A!!!I am totally excited to go vote today. I don't care if the lines are long or if the person if front of me will smell like a rotten banana, today excites me. I might have to go to a bar to watch the election results roll in (after I race in the Tuesday night short track MTB race of course). A change is brewing, no matter who wins, and we can finally take out some old

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-42269898098056520302008-10-30T11:27:00.004-07:002008-10-30T12:02:14.786-07:00

Happy early Halloween party people. I didn't have a costume, but then I developed this weird eye infection which has swollen my eyelid to ridiculous proportions so I am now thinking that I should probably be a pirate. Random but gross, I know.So I have a lot of feelings. Some may call them opinions, but I am pretty sure they are all just intelligent portrayals of reality. Like how I am pretty

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-69126693436630134652008-10-24T17:20:00.013-07:002008-10-28T11:18:58.922-07:00

Submarine Rock, Sedona ArizonaOne thing I have never gotten used to even after nearly 5 years living in Arizona is just how many amazing things there is to do in nature in my backyard. I could explore within a five hour radius of Phoenix every weekend for 10 years, and still not get to everything. This being said, I have never biked in Sedona. Lame, I know...Until now.We finally decided to hit

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-66494891259732124682008-10-23T07:57:00.002-07:002008-10-23T10:10:25.794-07:00

I am contemplating a big move, a bold statement against the evil forces at work, a stand against the incredibly expensive pigeon hole that society has forced me into.That is right, my husband and I are in negotiations to cancel our cable. Screw you Cox. You have terrible HD reception, a million hidden surcharges and really just suck. Plus you cost $80 a month.See we pay you something like $145

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-53517917095789223192008-10-21T13:34:00.008-07:002008-10-21T22:11:29.275-07:00

We ride. We fix bikes.Tom, Angel and I went biking this weekend. Up and over the ridge at the Phoenix Mountain Range then pedal pedal pedal through the ghetto to visit our friend Alicia. She is recovering from a rugby injury that required surgery. Any guesses what it is? That's right, blown ACL. It is so common in women's rugby, it may as well be a right of passage for retirement. And once you do

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-38163122745171735122008-10-17T17:08:00.003-07:002008-10-18T12:10:23.024-07:00

So are you ready for the election to be over yet? Tired of your favorite show being overtaken by numerous debates or election humor? Maybe you are just tired of your lunchtime table talk involving the merits of lipstick on pigs being eaten by Joe Plumber whose business is being bombed by black Arab terrorists who drill polar bears habitats in their free time, all the while spying on their

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-7324544303114738242008-10-15T07:36:00.000-07:002008-10-15T07:36:00.951-07:00

My plans Saturday changed abruptly from lazily biking around the Tour de Fat Festival in Tempe while guzzling a Fat Tire to running and biking around in the dark cold desert looking for orange markers hanging off cactus in the Extreme Heat Night AR at McDowell Mountain Park just north of Phoenix. A good trade-off right? The race director Rick shot our team an email Saturday morning to persuade

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-14580659952357373632008-10-13T21:40:00.000-07:002008-10-14T10:17:31.822-07:00

So after the fiasco that was the Gilmore AR and increasing frustration with my inability to really run, I decided to take some time off of competing to concentrate on my knee rehab. I had made a lot of progress and in some ways my core strength is still improving, but I noticed that I haven't really been progressing in certain ways. Things I still struggle with: one leg hopping, or any hopping

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-3334749967136583072008-10-08T11:13:00.002-07:002008-10-08T11:19:09.687-07:00

Here is a video I made of clips from Tonto Creek. I warn you that I put absolutely no effort into this so it is not very good. Also, waterproof cameras rock. That is all.

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-44148661554843863952008-10-07T10:37:00.008-07:002008-10-07T12:16:04.079-07:00

On Sunday, my gang of female outlaws fresh off a recent wagon train robbing decided to head to Tonto Creek for one final hurrah before the water becomes too cold for desert sissies like me to jump into. We went further up the canyon than I had been previously and found a couple of awesome water falls and more cliff jumping. It was everything I hoped it would be and more.The trail seems a little

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-77627824385545284552008-10-02T08:55:00.005-07:002008-10-02T11:10:10.341-07:00

E.T. phone home. Looks like him right? ~Bryce Canyon, UTIn the eternal quest for witty and entertaining blog topics, sometimes the well runneth dryeth. I feel a little like John McCain, just trying to polish the same old turd policy into something new and exciting. It ain't working John.Planning on watching the VP debate tonight? I will try to tune in if I can stand it. I do enjoy a good

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-955239899812706582008-09-30T11:26:00.003-07:002008-09-30T11:57:20.642-07:00

Many moons ago, when I was a wee 18 year old college student, living large on dorm cafeteria ice cream and cold cereal, I took two different engineering general chemistry courses. I got Bs in both of them and vaguely remember obtaining a 45% on one of the finals (average was a 40%) so I think it is safe to say that I struggled a bit. Several thousand beers later with no review any of it, I am

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-35538817113979460762008-09-26T10:41:00.000-07:002008-09-26T14:31:45.467-07:00

Looking back over my blog, I realize it seems like my life is one big giant nature picture. Hahaha. While I prioritize this part of my life and it is decidedly the most interesting thing to blog about, the rest of my reality just keeps on ticking silently in the background.I just celebrated my one year anniversary on Monday. Life this past year has gone by incredibly quick, which is most

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-24876101815271502462008-09-23T16:20:00.000-07:002008-09-23T16:20:44.237-07:00

Sometimes dreams come true. Even when you don't want them to.Sometimes all the good intentions in the world don't really matter because fate has other plans.And sometimes you just have to laugh and stop and smell the flowers and take a picture of that nice rock arch even though you are in a middle of a race, because shit hasn't really gone right AT ALL and you paid money to do this and so you

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-32549800220518593012008-09-19T08:32:00.004-07:002008-09-19T15:26:39.608-07:00

Bryce Canyon, Utah - Navajo LoopI said I would wait for a rainy day to finish my Utah recap. Well, it isn't raining, but I did see a cloud in the sky to that is about the same thing here in the desert.We finished up our Utah vacay with a trip up to Bryce Canyon for a couple of days. Very very interesting rock formations here. My sister recently spent some time in Cappadocia in Turkey and

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-75750778443570738942008-09-18T15:47:00.004-07:002008-09-18T21:52:32.396-07:00

Yes I am still alive. Yes it has been a week since I last updated. I have no excuses other than not having any motivation. It has just been one of those no motivation weeks.Big race on Saturday. Team ODP (Sarah, Angel and I) are competing in the Gilmore Adventure Race in Prescott. It will be a sprint race of 24-30 miles at a breezy 6000 feet above sea level. They end the race with an open

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-58177136573211565402008-09-12T09:00:00.001-07:002008-09-12T09:05:44.458-07:00

Pink Coral Sand Dunes near Kanab, Utah My vertical is shockingly low (2nd to left).Back to Labor Day weekend in Utah... Following Zion, we made a stop at the Pink Coral Sands State Park near Kanab Utah. Since it had just rained, the pink coral sand was more of an orange color. I remember thinking that at the time, but I have since googled coral and apparently it is actually orangish pink so

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-76785896740605321162008-09-10T21:09:00.000-07:002008-09-10T21:09:00.773-07:00

A quick break from my Utah trip to bring you this breaking story of my past weekend. Your welcome.Last weekend I was told to take my "training wheels off" and just shut up and join some friends in a bike trip to finally go up the mountain I usually ride around. South Mountain is a known downhiller's paradise with tons of trails rated at expert death level. I ride this range all the time on the

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-29573114274077710712008-09-09T07:53:00.004-07:002009-03-19T13:36:33.661-07:00

Day two in Zion brought a 70% chance of rain but I had a plan in my head and refused to submit to the weather. The plan was to get up really early to hike Angel's Landing so that we could head out that afternoon to another locale. Morning brought angry clouds and at 6 am, it was barely light enough to see. By the time we got to the trail head, it was already raining. I had a poncho, but some

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-56114295582523322132008-09-07T21:35:00.003-07:002009-03-19T13:37:19.760-07:00

After surviving a huge storm/flash flood at the Phoenix Airport while picking up part of the family (there was 14 inches of standing water in places and I had to back up a ramp because I wasn't willing to lose my car to submersion in terminal three), we headed up to Zion National Park, Utah as early as we could manage on Friday. We met up with my parents who drove their camper van out from Ohio

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-84992422975357004912008-09-03T23:03:00.009-07:002008-09-05T18:23:56.661-07:00

I'm back and I have a question. Why is California so crowded when Utah is right beside it? Seriously people, seriously. Utah rocks.I don't have time to blog my adventures quite yet, but here are a smattering of the amazing landscape known as Zion and Bryce National Parks.Zion BryceUtah, I love you. More stories and pictures to come of crazy weather and crazy family.

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-86781005351820234262008-08-27T21:02:00.001-07:002008-08-28T21:06:26.634-07:00

Hayooo. Getting out of town this weekend to the great state of Utah. I will be doing family friendly adventures and camping at the Bryce and Zion but I will try to persuade my girly sisters into getting dirty.This week has been crazy busy getting ready for my mini vacay, starting organic chemistry, and wrapping up my application for school. I am tired but I still have to pack, pic up fam at

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-37627757451054077862008-08-25T19:27:00.003-07:002008-08-27T13:09:28.488-07:00

I was able to watch the Olympic MTB races online, so all was good. The US women represented well with a 7th and 8th place finish. Coincidentally, I finished 7th in my own race (sport division) on the very same day around the very same time that the race was taking place. My effort was not quite as impressive unfortunately, as I more resembled a martian who landed on the Earth by accident and

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-26366770977514903092008-08-21T18:24:00.002-07:002008-08-22T09:08:12.588-07:00

Oh Bolt...you are...almost indescribable. You win. You toy with my emotions you tall freakish rascal. You anger me only because I care so much about you. You blow me away because it is impossible not to be humbled by your amazing abilities. You did as I asked and therefore you are redeemed in my eyes... for now, but there is a fine line. You definitely have left your mark on this Olympics

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-60529940905907283042008-08-20T14:23:00.004-07:002008-08-20T15:58:03.465-07:00

So the Olympics are killing me slowly. Do I really need to stay up late watching all 30 heats of BMX biking and white water kayaking? Apparently. Speaking of exciting Olympic events, did you know the 200 meter final will be on tv tonight**? So we get to see him run again.With a name like Usain Bolt, it was like he was destined to be an insane bolt of speed.I will admit, I didn't know much

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-38637777019725327072008-08-18T23:10:00.002-07:002008-08-19T00:28:34.855-07:00

We hit up Christopher Creek for another quick canyoneering trip on Saturday. It was pretty sweet once again and I definitely had more mobility and strength than last time. We found a way to waste lots of time jumping from ledges, sliding down natural slides and playing on logs. I just love this place. Once we left the box canyon at the top, we saw no one beyond for the rest of the canyon.

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-22637643156523855712008-08-15T16:13:00.004-07:002008-08-15T16:29:48.899-07:00

The last two days I have been feeling the curse of the dreaded RFTDTBAT. RFTDTBAT = Randomly Failing Technology Due To Being A Technologist. It sucks mostly because when you are a computer engineer and your shit fails, you have no one to call but yourself. Hey self, fix this! Okay self, when I get a chance, I am busy. Still aren't listening self? I will break something else until you heed

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2257188142267929551.post-44522915912628581692008-08-12T17:41:00.000-07:002008-08-12T17:41:00.769-07:00

Whose is obsessed with the Olympics? Ew ew pick me!!! Sports with a team I can cheer on all the time...with back stories? Sign me up.I still can't figure out when things are going to be on so I have to just watch it all. Phelps may not be human, I think we should test him for fish DNA. His individual events are boring since he is so far ahead in every race. He was one lucky SOB in the 400

The Chaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10116874682901348318noreply@blogger.com1