Havasupai- 2009

Disclaimer- I am not a photographer nor a historian. I am grateful for the pictures I do have but there is much left undocumented by me. Although I could sort through the 1000 + pictures that have been compiled from every one's cameras and produce a complete work... I'm just not that dedicated. So you have some of highlights from my camera.

The trip started with the typical late night shopping and packing frenzy- a scale to weigh the pack and re evaluating over and over what don't I need to lighten the pack. The next morning came very early as we congregated at the master coordinator's house- Jamie Prince. Car loads assigned- our car - Will drove, Kristin, Andrew, and Pat and I jumped in and we were off. What can I say- we had a fun car! I did not know any of the boys but we were soon all laughing, talking, sleeping, teasing, and the whole 12 hour road trip was one of the most enjoyable long rides I can remember. At St George we stopped at Jaime's mothers house who had made lunch for everyone- that is about 15-20 hungry singles. And it was hot! The cookies she sent with us melted before we even got them to the car. Will's family lives in Vegas- and since we were driving through we stopped in and met Will's Mom. Also- very hot. But a popsickle and some water, chapstick and a mothers reminder to pray and be safe and we were set. The bathroom and the ping pong table were also utilized. At the Hoover dam we stopped- stepped outside and thought yikes!! Only 115 degrees. I had never been to the Hoover dam before and was very excited about it. Finally we came to the Indian reservation- after saving the world from some trash at the hotel after a bathroom break we made it to the parking lot. We thought we were way behind from our extra stop in Vegas but like the tortoise and the hair we were the second car. Fortunately the car that beat us was the one with dinner inside. Jamie's mom not only feed us lunch but packed away a dinner for everyone!


Here we are in the parking lot of the trail head eating most delicious curry chicken wraps and chips.

We spent the night on the landing next to the parking lot sort of near the edge of the cliff. The Cliff didn't seem too near until we heard horses stampeding in the middle of the night towards us and we thought we were cornered. Fortunately a dog herded them (2) up and we were safe. But everyone was crouched ready to spring. That is my beautiful sleeping bag in all its heaviness. I really should invest in a light weight bag.

On the trail- I wish I had a picture of the switch backs- the trail looks cake from here. But it was pitch black both times I was on it. Remember Hoover dam at 115 degrees wasn't that far away- we headed out at 4 am in the dark to miss the heat.

Hiking at sunrise.

Wild horses- very skinny ones. Along the trail we met wild horses, a pack of wild dogs with blood shot eyes, and locals rounding up their horses through the gully so fast we dived out of the way up onto a boulder as they came running past. You can move quickly with a heavy pack on if you have enough motivation.

The coordinator hostess with the mostest!! Jamie- we are almost there!

The new fall created after/during the flooding last year. Replacing the previous fall which apparently was on the other side. We got to town at about 7:30 am bought our permits took a little break and finished the last 2 miles.

One of the churches in the village. This is an Indian reservation, this is the Havasu Indians. They sell permits to camp on their land. I much prefer this method of making money than to casinos.

River leading the way...

There she is- isn't she beautiful- Havasu Falls! Yeah- I was swimming in that only a few hours later.

Some of us girls at the top of the falls.

Changing into swimsuits in a camp site is tricky and hilarious business.

Original camp site... I think a hammock would have been the way to go. Others in our group knew what they were doing.

We can't believe we are actually standing in this glorious place. How did we get sooo lucky!?

I think sitting at the picnic table in the river was one of my favorite things! I don't have a picture but we had 15 people at one time crowded on.

Moony Falls- a favorite

This was part of the trail...

So was this...

And so was this!

I admit my heart rate increased the first time- especially with the frayed rope holding one of the ladders. But it was that dangerous sort of fun and excitement and it was worth it!

Serene

Two of my favorite people- Will and Kristin. Will has more stories than Mother Goose. In fact Kristin and I were remembering them last night and just remembering them made me laugh so hard I almost cried. The first time around I was laughing crying and trying to fit breathing in somewhere. It was amazing.

Guess who we found there the same weekend--- Emily Hodson!

I was there!! This place is real! What my camera failed to show is how tropical teal blue the water is.

I think this is one of my favorite pics of me. Not bad for 30... =)

I taught a morning yoga class the morning after our hike it. We were all a little stiff and sore.

There was the group that had a little morning 5 mile one way jog to the Colorado river... I was happy with my yoga.

Hanging out at the table- must have been a meal time...

Good Morning!! I think it was 7am or so. Impossible to sleep in camping.

Helicoper landing pad. Hike, ride a horse, or fly- those are your only options here.

Church!! This is almost the whole group- but we are still missing a few who somehow managed an escape before the photo. There is only one active family in the village. There used to be many. But we are grateful for the one family because we had a place to take the Sacrament on the Sabbath.

There were a few battle wounds along the way. Kristin's toe decided to morph into a blister- a huge blister.

My pride and desire to show off for a cute boy with a video camera lead to my dimise. You will see the actual injury a day or so after the fact later. It bleed well...

We spend the rest of the Sabbath at the edge of the river cooling our feet in the river and just talking and enjoying a day of rest.

A river runs through it! Through the campgrounds that is.

We were in a slot canyon of red rock. Absolutely stunning- except when it channeled a hot wind up the canyon at night that made you feel like you were inside a blow dryer.

Lindy and I. Love that girl. We were orginally coming together later because the permits were sold out for the first night. Change of plans later- but without the orginal plan I might never have made there.

Kristin's shiner from the rope swing... it was really pretty and unique.

Hiking out at sunset Sunday night.

We made it!! 10 miles later... Even with a much light pack- the hike out was still intense. We were back at the parking lot at 1am. Bet you can't tell where Kristin's pack was. We hiked out in our car groups for the way home. Andrew was with us but he stopped at the switchbacks and didn't make it in until 3:30am.

Here is my pretty foot already healing well. For the hike out I still had the skin flap and we superglued it closed. That worked for a little while until it just became a hard loose skin flap... But by that time my feet were warm and numb from hiking and as long as we didn't really stop I was fine.

Sunrise overlooking our trek.

The whole car altogether at sunrise before our long drive home. I don't know if you figured it out yet- but there wasn't a lot of sleeping on this trip. Too many sunrises and sunsets pictured...

Look close and you will see a rack to behold! He was in the middle of the street as we were driving home.

I had my camera out this time for the HOOVER DAM

The crazy bridge they are building- soooo high.

Since we had to pass through Vegas on our way out... we of course said hello to mamasita- Will's Mom. We all took a couch and passed out for an hour. Then we hit the Bellagio buffet. I mean backpacking food for days! Wouldn't you?!

The rest they say is history. We safety arrived at Jamie's only to discover Pat's car had been towed over the weekend. He was able to sort through that mess and Kristin and I got in at 11pm. I was starting my work week the next day and i was anxious for bed. I will tell you last week was a little harder at work because I was already exhausted. But it was Worth it a million times over!!!

Alexander Basin

I am determined to make the most of my weeks off- within my established budget. This week the plan for an adventure was a hike in the Wasatch. I wanted to try a new trail- not hard since I haven't done many and this is the Wasatch you know. So up Mill Creek Canyon I went to conquer Alexander Basin. And it was a conquer- I probably won't hike that one alone next time... Steep, but it was beautiful. I'm not really that much of a "solo artist" but I won't sit at home just because everyone else is working and I have the day off. Rather do something alone than not at all.

That was the trail...

Oh, and there was snow

I climbed up that patch of rocks- there is a trail there I promise.

Loved the wild flowers!

Looking Glass

I heard a quote last week stating "God will never stop bringing you trials". Oddly enough, I found these words to be comforting. The comfort I felt was an immediate reaction without understanding and I found myself pondering- why. Perhaps it spoke peace because I heard "God will never give up on you" and I heard "it's okay that you struggle- frequently. God purposefully designed a path filled with obstacles". And I realize, some obstacles take a little longer than others to overcome. Like a rock climbing route you keep getting stuck on or falling on. Every time you attempt you learn something new. It may take time building strength, technique, and/or an outsiders perspective (plus multiple attempts) before the route is completed. The only failure in that situation is would be giving up, not the multiple "unsuccessful" attempts. I don't believe God only gives us routes he expects us to successfully climb the first attempt. In fact, occasionally he ups the ante (which unfortunately is frequently our own poor use of free agency) bringing us face to face with the stark reality that we need even more work than previously imagined.
And so here I am, facing the looking glass with a much clearer picture of the person in front of me than before. One can go a long time assuming they look just fine until their path crosses a mirror and they discover black seeds in their teeth, mascara smeared around their eyes, and hair looking like it was styled by Medusa's stylist. There are two responses optional- one, wish you had never come in contact with the mirror because ignorance was bliss and you were much happier before. Or two, be grateful for the mirror because now you can do something about the situation and save further embarrassment. Being a rather indecisive person-always opting for all of the above- for example at Cafe Rio when they ask for black or pinto beans I ask for half and half... I usually experience a combination of the two, both regret and gratitude for the new discovery.
I discovered, from my latest crossing with the looking glass, that I not as far along as I would like to fancy myself. Being faced with a decision, I was in turmoil because what I wanted and what I believe God wanted were in opposition. I know enough to know that choosing God's path is always the best plan. But... But... But... I lost. Simply summed up, I lost. I lost because "I"- in all its ego and pride overpowered and I chose my own way. That my friends, has always and will always be, a loss. Now as I sit and deal with the consequences of my actions(never worth it) I am looking more clearly at who I am. A personal reality check. My fears, desires, and pride have deeper and thicker roots than I understood before. My roots of faith and willingness to submit to the will of the Lord are more shallow than I had hoped.
So I think it is safe to say I took a fall on my climbing route and I lost some hard earned height. I only hope that when I get back to where I was, I successfully navigate the climb. Oh, and peace of mind, is worth millions.

Simple Pleasures

It is days like today that make me think I have stepped into a dream world. My new job is hard work and by day 7, my last hour of work, my legs were literally shaking I was so worn down. (being sick all week didn't help). I was shocked how exhausted I was... but its Thursday now, and baby I'm doing alright. I can't believe my new life! All the doors it opens. I have time to breathe, rest (as much as I can let myself), smile, dance, visit with friends... I just have to shake my head at because it all feels soooo good and I didn't think it was possible. I just need a to make a little more money so I can add a lot of travel to my 7 off activities.

Here are some simple pleasures that have put a smile on my face today.

Morning dance class
Hot shower
Pandora playing
Clean room, bed made
Sitting on my bed with a spread for lunch of grapes, Jarlsburg cheese, deli sliced turkey, hummus and sesame seed crackers.
AND... it is noon on a Thursday and I used to Dread Thursdays.

I have so much to catch up on blogging. I so many ponderings I want to explore and pictures of life as I know it. Not in the schedule for today however. And I worried I wouldn't have enough to do with 7 days off. I should know myself better than that! Hopefully though a few more posts will be coming soon.

So It Has Begun

Work- that is the main subject for this entry. Oh, what the days have brought! 10 working days to be exact. Lets start the tales off with a bang! I thought I was going to have to press the code blue button today... seriously. I was co-treating a patient when she decided to pass out and stop breathing. And by stop breathing I mean face go pale, then turn blue, no air moving -anywhere. The good news is that I could think clearly throughout it- no panic, but I wasn't sure the best way to handle the situation. (This I am sure is to be the beginning of emergencies and I relieved to know that I am clear headed during the moment.) After Maggie and I hefted her back onto the bed she FINALLY started to breathe again and regained consciousness. Yikes- Alls well that ends well. My back is complaining that it isn't used to this kind of "activity". As I get stronger it will get better. I, so far, really enjoy the shock trauma ICU. It is a little overwhelming but that means I won't get bored. It was hard to first hear/then see a family's reaction as a host of doctors somberly walked out of a room after losing someone. Life is already seeming much more fragile. Please wear a helmet, your seat belt, and look both ways before crossing a street- oh and don't get married to a man who will later think its a good idea to stab you 15 times later on in life. Then there was the co-treat where the patient decided to slip her hips off the edge of the bed and the two of us grab her hips and lay her head on the bed ending up in a very precarious bridge position supported solely by us. Not really the smallest of women. Thank goodness for the nurse who saved the day. Just so it is known, these were Maggie's treatments and I was there "helping". Being new I may not have tried as bold of treatments. I now understand what yellow skin from liver failure looks like. When they say yellow, they mean crayola box yellow. Amazing- I also recommend avoiding alcoholism.

But...the best story happened after work. Wednesday I was walking to the Trax station when there was a commotion I couldn't see what was going on. By the time I got there I only saw a bus driver walking along the rails looking for something which turned out to be a women's sunglasses. When they were found and returned to the woman I noticed she had blood on her pants. I looked at her and asked if she was alright. During which she explained she had just left the hospital and was given a medication making her a little dizzy, causing her to fall. But stated emphatically she was fine. Well apparently she feel off the platform and hit her head below!! As I am talking to her I notice blood start dripping/running down her neck. HELLO! You are NOT OK. As I take a closer look her hair is matted with blood- not good. I call out to the bus driver that she is not ok and needed help- asked anyone nearby at the station if they had a Kleenex or something and upon getting a Kleenex promptly used my right hand with it to apply compression to her head. I braced with my left hand to keep her head steady. Then her eyes closed! I just said- hello! hello! Can you open your eyes?! Fortunately she responded and a lovely conversation ensued. I learned her name is Karen and that she lives alone with her two dogs- they are two different breeds a Lahasa and a Shih Tzu. After which she said "so I have lotsa shit at my house" and howled with laughter. Sorry for the language, but it was really pretty funny. She works for the University Hospital and couldn't remember what she did- at that point she asked if she hit her head really hard because she was having difficulty thinking. As I am wondering what is taking the ambulance so long, my legs are going a little numb and she is frequently declaring she is fine and can just go home. I am left trying to explain why that is not going to happen without alarming her. Quite the reoccurring conversation. Typical head trauma! If you know much about head traumas you know how "head trauma" explains it all. I tried to shield as much of the potential seriousness of the situation because I wanted to avoid shock. Finally- the ambulance and fire truck showed up as I am squatting there holding the woman's head. They stand around for a minute asking questions until finally one of them asks me if I would like him to take over holding on. Hmmm... no-I enjoy my legs shaking and having bloody hands. YES! After which I was taken to the back of the ambulance to wash the blood off my hands. They gave me these certain wipes to wipe off my hands- these wipes are SERIOUS wipes. To be worn with gloves and are what we use to disinfect ANYTHING at the hospital. I may have mutated children one day because of it but, I'd rather wipe off with those than the potential consequence of the blood on my hands. I made my way back to the platform because I still needed to get on the train and stood aside and watched as they put a c-collar on her and started to get ready to transfer her to the spine board. Then she caught my eye and repeatedly mouthed thank you. That was kind of her to think of me at that moment. The paramedic who helped me wash my hands came up and informed me her blood tests came back clear, no blood borne pathogens so I could have peace of mind. Also very thoughtful. Too bad he had a ring on =) he was cute. Anya would have been in 7th heaven to have been surrounded by men in uniform like that. And then my train was there (I only missed one throughout the whole ordeal) and all there was for me to do was get on and watch them put her on the stretcher as the train pulled away.

And so it has begun... an entirely new adventure. I enjoy the broader interactions with people- it takes an army to run the hospital. I have not missed my last job for one minute yet, but my years in orthopedics has come in handy already for a variety of instances. It is fun to turn around and see my brother walking by. Watch out 2 McOmbers let lose with licenses in the hospital! I also really enjoy the nurturing side- finding the thing that creates a smile, or eases the pain a little, and finding what makes them see that I see them as a human- not a job or a diagnosis. Hopefully they will remember that more than the pain I caused by making them move. Last but surely not least, I really look forward to starting my 7 on 7 off schedule. I think that is going to be the best thing ever!

"Things Change Jo"

Last week I went with Ashely Stolworthy to see Little Women the Opera. A good friend of ours John Walker was playing one of the male leads. Through out the night a reoccurring theme was sung "things change Jo"- Jo was constantly trying to hold onto things as they were, unable or unwilling to accept the change that kept coming to her- which only caused her and others pain. Since then this has kept coming into my mind as I have felt the world swirl around me. Change is everywhere- my new job and friends moving away seems to be the majority of the swirl but I wouldn't be surprised if this is the tip of the iceberg. Sometimes I wish I could rewind to make better use of the time I had knowing what I know now, or that I can pin things down to keep them near. But, I know, all that is impossible. Thinking about Jo and how her stubbornness to keep things as is only caused misery instead of embracing the changes making possible new joy and growth, I am making a conscientious effort to look forward with optimism to the new possiblities and doors that can be opened by the twister that has barrelled through. It will be interesting to see where everything has landed when the wind finally dies down.
Overall life is good. I still feel like I am in a transition stage- that will probably last a little while longer while I am getting used to the new schedule and "finish" saying good-bye to those leaving.
I had dinner with some girlfriends not long ago and surprise surprise - dating came up. One of the girls talked about how she decided to take a more proactive role in the dating scene. Make it more objective and work at it like trying to find a job. A) use networking- ask others if they know anyone and work to make the contact, B) Be willing to go on a lot of bad dates to get a good one C) Go to parties/events and make an effort to talk to people you don't know. She is a lobbyist by profession can you see it? I am not sure I am at the point to attack it in quite the same manner -but nevertheless, her thoughts are peculating in my mind and even changed my behavior a time or two. Personally I conceded in the dating game and swallowed some pride and took the plunge into the online world. I joined LDS singles and LDS link-up online. So far... yuck- not my thing. I'm not a big computer fan to begin with and combine dating or the attempts thereon-- uggg!! I'm thinking this is not a viable way for me to meet men. I know it works for a lot of people- but I'm thinking it's a no go for me.
Life is interesting- and that pretty says it all.