The Diagnosis is...

So I finally went to the Doctor today, after some folks harassed me to get my knee looked at. I knew they were right and if I wanted to be able to train for the upcoming TRI season I had to get better.
The DOC said I had IT band syndrome and Patellar tendonitis (jumpers knee) in my left knee, and peroneal tendonitis in my right ankle (the problem everyone heard me complaining about months ago)

She gave me two straps to wear above and below my left knee to help with both. The good news is that I just have to stretch, wear the straps, and ice it, and it should be ok, and she said I can go ahead and train and to keep doing the stretches so that it doesn't become a chronic problem.

So we'll see how the straps help with the pain...

Introducing.... ANDRE

OK... so now you can call me a crazy cat lady... welcome the new addition to the family...
ANDRE!

Hell Yeah.. 1st Place at VSO!

Hell Yeah!.. not one, but TWO first place finishes this weekend at the Virginia State Open (VSO) Swing Dance Championships. Play the video above to watch the Strictly.

(above- My Jack and Jill Partner, Brian and I, with our winnings!)

Doug and I took 1st place in the Strictly Lindy Intermediate Division, and I took 1st place in the Lindy Jack and Jill Intermediate Division, with my partner Brian. Won a few bucks in the Jack n Jill, so that was cool, but totally stoked... placed first in two competitions.. I'm happy... especially since I missed the skydiving competition Saturday to stay late Friday nite and compete in the Jack and Jill (which didn't start till 0130 in the morning).

I gave in...

and finally bought an IPOD... I know *gasp* *shock* I can't believe it either. Most of you know I've cursed those things and never knew why everyone had one. I think it was because everyone I knew that had one, it always broke.. anyways.. go figure.
I decided the amount of time I sit on the damn train I needed something, its too short of time to get out my school work, and too long of time to do nothing. So I decided that since I don't watch TV anymore (not enough time because of dancing) that the IPOD is the solution, I can now catch up on my shows while on the Train =) well actually its only one show.. House. So i'm excited.
Also now that i'm off season for Tri trng, my workouts are more relaxed and I can enjoy the ipod for that too!

heres my new nano =)
oh.. and for those of you who thought it was too expensive.. the shuffle is 1GB for $80, this nano was 200 bucks, but is 8GB and has a screen, so I can watch movies and listen to music, so in perspective I thought it was a good deal =)

The Nation's Tri...

2hrs 54min 17sec =)
1500yd swim, 40k bike, 10k run

last race of the year for me... not bad.. placed 36 out of 64 women in my age group.. i'll kick butt next year =)

Respect... Honor... Better late than never...

Today was a great day filled with honor and respect. Today, I finally got my self over to the Arlington National Cemetery and paid my respects to LT Jack C Rittichier, USCG. The only Coast Guard MIA. LT Rittichier was lost when his aircraft, the Jolly Green 23, went down in South Vietnam on 09JUN1968. Read the full story here.
When I was a cadet at the academy I bought and wore his POW/MIA bracelet, and miraculously in 2002, the crash sight and his remains were found, and on 06OCT 2003, he was finally brought home and buried. I took the bracelet off at that time (as the tradition follows), but sadly I did not mail it to his family that year (as I should have done). And since I missed that event, I wanted to pay proper respect and go to the cemetery.
I've been to Arlington before and felt the honor and respect of what it represents, but today it was extra strong as I was proudly standing before a fellow "coastie", one who died for his country. It was an incredible reminder of what I believe in and what I want to live up to. I can not even describe in words how it felt and what it meant. I left the bracelet,with a note, on his tombstone, hopefully it finds Jack in good spirits. God Bless.




Thanks Doug for taking the pictures =)

CTLX...Zombie Apocalypse

So this weekend.. was my last big hoorah before classes start tomorrow... So I went up to Connecticut for the Connecticut Lindy Exchange =) it was called Zombie Apocalypse.. dance till you drop dead. .then dance some more... and thats exactly what we did! Left for CT friday afternoon, got there at 9pm checked into the hotel then was at the dance by 930, danced till midnite.... went to the local diner... actually skipped friday nites late nite 1am-5am dance because I thought i'd be skydiving saturday morning at my old DZ.. but when I woke up it was raining =( so instead I slept in.. then went to the afternoon dance which was a blast.. at a cool venue called Vinnie's Jump and Jive, then took a break for dinner before the evening dance.. followed by a quick coffee break at a diner before the late nite dance... would have stay till 5am.. but someone got a little tired (wont mention names though * cough*) so ended up leaving about 230ish...
but all in all.. some great dancing... so that was my last big wkd before classes start tomorrow.. well at least thats what i'm countin on.. hopefully it wont be too bad and i'll actually be able to have fun on wkds still... we'll see though..

Heres me takin a break from the afternoon dance at Vinnie's =)

I won a Jack n Jill

So according to swingout DC.. I won first place in the novice Jack and Jill =) yay! Still not the greatest accomplishment with only 3 couples in the whole thing.. but still happy =)

Swing Fling Jack n Jill...

Ok, so i'm sure most of you think i've fallen off the face of the earth because I pretty much havent returned a phone call or email since I arrived in DC about 2 weeks ago, but I swear i've been super busy trying to figure out this damn city. I've only gotten in my car once, luckily the metro can get me around (but its beginning to add up). My place is starting to come together, i'll post a video walkthru of it later in the week when I get some more free time. But anyways, yeah, i've been super busy getting settled and being orientated at work.. and more orientation starts tomorrow. I'll tell ya one thing, they sure have scared the be-jesus out of all of us with the thesis talk, i've already scrapped the one idea i've been working on for the past 6 months and am starting from scratch, so i've been stressed to say the least.
Dancing has been ok, not the scene i'm used to out in the Bay area.. (sure do miss you guys lots!) but the dancing I am gettin in is keeping me from going insane. I was able to do a jack and jill competition on friday. I entered in the novice category and soon learned I most definitely should have been in the advanced category at this venue. My partner only knew three moves, three swing out variations, so dont know what place we got out of the 3 lousy couples in the novice category, but it doesnt really matter.. next time i'll know better.
Hopefully this week i'll have more time to catch back up with everyone, Thanks to the few of you who called me on my birthday on Saturday, you have no idea how much I needed those smiles!

Straight to Curly..

I needed a change, I was getting bored with my hair.. so I woke up today and got a perm..
watcha think? I can still wear it straight if I want to though, but I like it =)

First Int'l Distance Tri...

So today I ran my first International/Olympic Distance Triathlon. It was a 1500yd swim, 40k bike, 10k run. Definitely feeling the difference between the leap to Int'l versus the sprint tri's i've been doin. And while I didn't beat anyone in my age group I'm pretty sure I finished in under 3 hrs, which was my goal. I thought I started my watch for the swim but when I got on my bike I noticed it didn't go, so I started it on the bike, and by my watch the bike and run was 2hrs 19min, and i'm pretty sure I was out of the water around 35min. So, while compared to the other girls today, I wasnt so good, but I'm happy because I felt I did better than last week.

So heres a pre race pic, a transition to the run pic, and a post race with my nephew sammy =)

Caesar Creek Tri

So I got my butt up at 4am today, after not getting to sleep till 1am =( and mom and dad drove me the 75 minutes to Caesar Creek State Park, and I ran the sprint tri, a 750yd swim, 20k bike, 5k run. And unfortunately I think I sucked, I missed a week and half of training in the move across, and I felt it today, I dragged on the bike so badly, made up a little in the run, but not at all happy with my results (roughly 1hr31min) =( the big race is next sunday so hopefully i'm ready for it and do a lot better next sunday!
... Ok, so official results were posted today (monday) and yeah.. I sucked as bad as I predicted, worst i've done so far =( 13 out of 16 in my age group, first time i ever placed in the bottom half... boy am I regretting that week and a half of missed trng, i've got lots to do to redeem myself for next weeks international distance... sure hope I can do better!

New version of the BASE Jump Vid

Ok, so I'm at home and relaxin on the couch for a bit.. so I edited the video a lil bit and came out with this... The song is a song I like called "Accidentally Kelly Street"

Watch the whole video.. there's pictures at the end =)

Wow.. Detour on the drive...

Alright folks... So you may think i'm crazy.. but Sunday 01JUL07 I did the coolest/craziest most exciting thing I think I've done in my life. I made my First BASE jump.. ie I jumped off a bridge and heres the video! For those of you who don't know, BASE stands for Building, Antenna, Span, Earth.



My skydiving friend, Dan, somehow convinced me to detour myself off of I80 saturday nite as i'm driving myself across country, and go all the way up to IDAHO to jump off a bridge, and while I thought I may go and just watch, I couldnt resist the offer to jump once I got there. This bridge is completely legal, so Dan let me borrow his rig and since he has over 120 BASE jumps, and thousands of skydives, he helped me out and pulled for me so I could concentrate on everything else.. so check it out.. the scream as I'm jumping was an "Oh S**t" of excitement not fear =) The whole experience was AWESOME, and i'm so doing that again..

Thanks Dan.. for inviting me, convincing me to drive out of the way bc you knew i'd love it, and helping me through it all (especially that crazy rock climb back up). I owe ya.. you're awesome! muah! Totally worth the 2hrs off track and delay of a day driving..
check back for pics bc i'll have those from another camera later this week =)

Goin Away Banana Split Bash!

So last nite, a good group of friends showed up at Fenton's Creamery for an awesome goin away dinner.... with lots of ice cream! A few coasties, one skydiver =), some neighbors.. but the dancers came and represented!.. hehe. Thanks everyone, it's still sooooo sad to be going, but I love you all, and promise to be back.
I made a collage of pictures from last nite.. bc i'm sitting here bored waiting for my movers to get here.

and heres the look on Jean and I's face for the huge banana split.. haha!

Winding down...

So, my time here in Cali is winding down.. cant believe i've been here 2 yrs already and now I have to move again... so sad...
but at least i've been trying to make the most out of the time I have left. I ran my last sprint triathlon, in cali that is, on Jun 16th, It was another sprint TRI, and happened to be the same course as my very first Triathlon (which I ran last october) and this time.. I ran it 10 min faster! with a time of 1hr 12min, so i'm very happy, and hopefully now i'm ready for my last two TRI's which i'll be running in Ohio on July 8th and my Olympic Distance one on July 15th!


And when i'm not TRI trng, i've been makin the most outta dancing my heart out! Orhan and I finally got the kip:



and for Orhan and I's last time at Swing Central together (at least till I come back...) we finally got into the Jam...



so... all thats left for me to do is pack up... do all my goodbye jams =( and try not to be too sad for leaving all of you...

Hello Everyone...

So.... I'm moving from Oakland all the way to DC shortly and it seems everyone is blogging nowadays to keep people in the loop, so maybe i'll try it... who knows if i'll be able to keep up with it or not.. we'll just have to see...