Thank you friends!

This year was one of the best birthdays I have ever had! Thanks to my friends, and a whole lot of love the weekend of birthday festivities was unforgettable! Check out a some pics from my Very Merry Unbirthday and my climbing trip to Bishop:

A Very Merry Unbirthday

My Birthday weekend starts today! Tonight I am going to dinner, tomorrow morning I have a birthday brunch with mom, and tomorrow night my bestie is throwing me a Very Merry Unbrithday cocktail party! Then I wake up at the crack of dawn on Sunday morning to drive to Bishop and meet up with my friends and climb for two days! (hopefully some new pics to follow). I'm so thankful for all my friends and all the fun that is to come! Here's to a new year of being 28 and fabulous!

A Birthday Note From Mom

It's a big year for me. This week I turn 28 and am looking forward to a new year. I have done so much self reflection this last year and have started to feel very sure of who I am. I guess that's what happens when you get as old as me, you start to feel comfortable in your own skin, it's interesting to say the least. Not only have I done a lot of self reflection, but I have learned a lot about where I come from. This year I found my birth father whom I never knew growing up. We are forming a very wonderful friendship and knowing him has given me a sense of self I never could have had. I look at him and my mom and I see all the little pieces that make me who I am and who I am proud to be. I feel whole. I am so very thankful to have both my parents in my life. It is something most people take for granted. I am so lucky to have so much love around me. This morning I woke up to a note from my mom, it was so sweet. It really made my day!

Birthday note from mom:

"So your birth day is coming up....i just want you to know that your birth was , for me, a miracle, it was an event that finally gave me a reason to be, a purpose ......my happiest days were when you were little and i got to teach you to read and write and to watch you discover the big wide world...now you are on the biggest adventure of all..finding your father....i hope that you get to know and love the man that i once loved so much that i kept what i could of him.... YOU. happy birthday baby girl...you are the light of my life...and I'll bet once he meets you he will know what an amazing miracle you are.!!!!!! love forever, mom"

We'll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again...

These are the lyrics from one of my Dad's greatest hits performed by England Dan and John Ford Coley...

We'll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again
Turn on the radio
We'll play it way down low
There's a tear in your eye
That's reflecting the fire's glow
And I wish that this night would never end
The sun ain't gonna be my friend
Lying here awaiting here
And wishing I knew when
We'll never have to say goodbye again.
We'll never have to say goodbye again.
You must leave, I know you will
I won't let you go until
You show me the secret
For making this time stand still
And somewhere sometime from now
Together again somehow
All of the waiting will seem
Like a moment and then
We'll never have to say goodbye again
We'll never have to say goodbye again
The whole night afraid to see the light
And the whole day crying
Wishing I knew when
We'll never have to say goodbye again
We'll never have to say goodbye again

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is in two days and it is definitely a time to recognize what we are thankful for. The one person I am the most thankful for in the world is my mom. That woman would sacrifice anything for me, she supports my goals, and she reminds and encourages me to dream big and believe in myself. I know in my heart I would not be as strong a woman as I am now if it weren't for her. She has always shown me that no matter how bad life gets there is always a way to make it better and to learn from it. So this Thanksgiving the only thing I have to say is Thanks mom!

Skyscraper

Last night I saw Paul Banks, front man for the NYC based band Interpol, perform as his alter ego Julian Plenti. The venue, The Great American Music Hall, was intimate and perfect. I drank St. Germain cocktails and enjoyed the show with one of my favorite people in the world.

The performance completely blew me away. Paul Banks is so incredibly talented (and admittedly, kinda hot). His unique, dark voice paired with a band that included a cello, was something extraordinary. He played all the songs from his album "Skyscraper" and honestly, the album live was so much more impressive than on recording. The evening was wonderful and it has me itching to see Interpol asap!

Happy Fall

It's definitely a California Fall. Last night there were sprinkles on my windshield and the air smelled like trees and wet pavement. It's time to start drinking hot apple cider, bundling up in scarfs and boots, and getting out to the mountains. It also means the holidays are right around the corner. So it's time to remember to be thankful for all the things we have and all the people we love. Happy Fall!

*Drawing by Hiden Seek @ Etsy

Home on the range

I just got a nice surprise in my email this morning. My aunt sent me a picture from about the 1940's. The pic is of my great Grandfather's grocery store, Second Avenue Farms in Rome, GA.

It's so interesting to think of the family I never got to meet, my mom's grandfather... I wish I could go back in time and visit.

Hueco Tanks!!!

This week I am planning a long awaited trip to El Paso Texas to boulder in Hueco Tanks for February. I already made my resos and will be booking flights shortly. I'll be heading out with my new found partner in crime, Kim, to crush every project possible. We'll be out there for six days and we'll be staying with my friends and park guides, Mike and Sarah Ontiveros. I met Mike and Sarah on a bouldering trip to Hueco a little over 2 years ago. They were so much fun to hang out with and they have got Hueco on lock so I know they will show us a great time. Here are a few shots from the last trip to I took to Hueco-I can't wait! It's time to get Diesel!

A few more pics from Bishop

Missing Bishop from my cube....

*photos by Austin Holey

Bishop or bust!

I just spent a very short, but amazing weekend in Bishop CA bouldering with some awesome bay area climbers/friends. The highlight of the weekend was finding two new climbing projects (The Hulk and 7 Spanish Angels). Aside from the world class bouldering, I also have to say the company and the Irish coffee by the fire were enough to make me want to do it again very very soon. Ah, the little things in life!

*photos care of Audrey Modrey

My Extraordinary Ordinary

"People are hard, LOVE is hard, but it's an important, amazing adventure anyway" -Dad

Carpinteria for the weekend!

It's my Friday and I am so ready to take of to So-Cal for the weekend! After working two weeks straight I am long over-do for some play time! I'm looking forward to helping my baby sis, Gaelyn, plan the wedding of her dreams and spend some quality time at the beach to boot! Here are a few inspiring photos to kick off a weekend full of friends, laughter, and a whole lotta love!

*Images by Rodney Smith

Here's to Love!!!

Kat at RockNRollBride is hosting a contest to win free wedding photography by Love me Do and she has chosen my best friend Gaelyn and her fiance John as finalists! Please vote for them!!!

I am heading of to So-Cal this weekend with the lovely couple to get the wedding planning started! I am so excited to spend a magical autumn weekend with two of the most inspiring people I know! Here's to love!!!

Bouldering in San Diego

I Just got back from an amazing weekend of bouldering in San Diego. I got to visit with my friend Bryan and he gave me the local tour of bouldering in SD. We crammed every second of the weekend full of rock climbing, eating amazing Mexican food, and chillin' out with some really spectacular people. The first day I was there we spent the afternoon bouldering at Santee and then ended the evening at the ACSD http://www.alliedclimbers.org/access.php annual celebration where I met some wonderful local climbers and had some kick ass Cajun salmon for dinner. The following day we trekked out to Tramway and enjoyed perfect temps for climbing. The third and final day I was in town we checked out a fairly undeveloped area called Steel Valley that was full of trashy pleasures like graffiti, shotgun shells, dirt bike riders, and a whole lot of amazing unclimbed rock. The whole trip was such a treat and I left so stoked on climbing. Thanks for having me Bryan!

*Photos by Adam Kimmerly

Leaving on a jet plane

I'm on my way to San Diego in the morning for some R&R and a little rock climbing. I can't wait to get away and have some time to collect my thoughts and recharge. Have a WonDerFULL weekend!

*photo by William Eggleston*

Art and Sushi

This past weekend a friend and I went to check out First Fridays in Oakland. First Fridays is an art murmur the first Friday of every month in downtown Oakland. Local galleries stay open late and street vendors and local artists display their goods along blocked off alleys. I've been to the murmer twice now and it's definately a good place to people watch and enjoy the diverse culture Oakland is known for.

After checking out the galleries we stoped at a local wine bar for a glass of bubbly and then headed to dinner at Ozumo http://www.ozumo.com/main.htm, which I must say, was a very excellent sushi dinner with wonderful amiance. It was a wonderful evening with great conversation and even better company.

Allison's Extraordinary Ordinary

This is a photo of my friend Allison's bro-in-law standing in
front of a ginormous display of beer at whole foods.

"To put the photo in context, i took it last christmastime, in
Oregon, which you might remember was completely shut down by a series
of ice and snowstorms. Well we managed to make it out to whole foods
(seriously, a journey of epic proportions, risking life and limb for a
clamshell of arugula!)

Before arriving, I had expected empty shelves, and a very limited
selection... After all it was pretty much the storm of the century,
and the roads had been closed for days. We got there and I was
astonished how pretty much every item was fully stocked, vegetables
were as fresh as ever-- not the soviet-era breadlines I expected!
Anyway, upon heading to the beer section, I was floored by the
selection... I mean, that is an overwhelming variety of beers, no?
Even if it wasn't a terrible snowstorm!
What I find extraordinary about this photo is how we have become so
accustomed to having choices. For dinner on a given night, its
ordinary for us to choose from the cuisines of the world... Thai,
italian, ethiopian, mexican, etc. In all things, our generation
demands choices! These choices would have been unheard of one or two
generations ago. We are lucky to be able to choose from tsingtao
beer, karmellet, or just miller lite."

Pepere

This is a photo of my French Great-grandfather, Pepere. This is a picture of him taken during World War II. I believe it was taken soon after he was captured by the Germans and put in a prisoner of war camp in Hemer, Germany (Stalag 6A). He was always a happy soul but in this picture he looks rather grim (for good reason).This POW camp was a forced labor camp and the conditions were deplorable. Pepere lied to the Germans when they asked him his line of work. He was a mechanic by trade but told them he was a gardener because he did not want to be put to work aiding their war effort. I believe he was kept in the POW camp for 3 or 4 years. He was very lucky to get out alive, as 24,000 POWs died there. When the war ended in 1945, my Grandma Ginette who was only 16 at the time, left home with a friend with the intention of searching for her father and bringing him home. She was very close to him and was determined to find him. The 2 girls dressed up in French army uniforms (or something they thought looked close to that), boarded a train, and set off for Germany. Of course they had no money and no papers and they were soon sent back home. Pepere eventually made it home and I'm sure they had a warm reunion.

-Photo and story from my Aunt Carole

Chelsea's Extraordinary Ordinary

"I took this pic in Santa Barbara last year. It has remained in my mind and my heart as a reminder to be peaceful and loving with all walks of life."

Tuolumne

I just spent the last four days in Tuolumne on a gear testing trip for work. We passed the time climbing routes, hiking, swimming, and bouldering. I am lucky enough to be able to take these team trips 2-3 times a year and they are always amazing. However, this trip topped them all. We had great food (prepared by Billy at Dragonfly in Tahoe)http://dragonflycuisine.com/. We also had great friends and plenty of good laughs. The best part of the trip for me was being able to climb and boulder with two very strong women, Heidi Wirtz and Lisa Rands. I have known them both for a few years now, but our time together is always limited. Having four days to hang with them was pretty awesome and awe-inspiring. They both crush and they are both totally down to earth women who I am grateful to know.

After the trip I got to spend a little extra QT with Heidi. We bouldered in the morning at the knobs, drove back to Oak-Town, and bouldered in the evening at the local gym, GWPC. By the end of the night I felt like my arms were gonna fall off! We finished the day with a big sushi dinner. It was the perfect way to end a really great trip. Heidi extended the offer for me to come join her in Boulder to get out and do some more climbing. I can't wait! Thanks Heidi!

Ben Harper Relentless 7

As a gift from someone very special in my life, I got to attend a Ben Harper Relentless 7 show at the Fox last night. I wasn't too familiar with the Relentless 7 album 'White Lies for Dark Times' but I had heard it enough to know the show would be great. Ben and his crew proved that truly skilled musicians only need a few basic amps and a whole lot of soul to put on an amazing performance. Not only was the show good, but the encore made my night. Ben played the first encore solo, performing a lot of old songs. The audience was silent and his voice carried through the theatre. I have seen Ben perform live before, but I am always stunned by his talent. He has such an awe inspiring presence and a voice that conveys immense emotion. He brought me to tears with the song 'Walk Away'. It was such an inspiring show. I am so thankful to have been there.

-Here are a few bad cell phone pics (forgive me-I forgot the camera)!

On repeat on my ipod

The album 'Rockferry' has been on repeat on my ipod all week. This album has been out a while, but I just got into it. Ann Duffy has a voice that takes you back to another era, she is sultry and soulful and the entire album is like listening to a story. She sits right along with the likes of Amy Winehouse and Adele. My personal favorite is the song "Hanging On Too Long", but every song is relate-able and moving.

Check it out:http://www.iamduffy.com/index2.html

Ode to Patrick Swazy (August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs!

Last Thursday the ladies and I rocked out at an amazing show by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Oakland's Fox Theatre. Karen O, as usual, was bad-ass as hell! Every outfit she rocked was amazing, totally crazy and full of color. And on top of the amazing outfits, she also knocked out every song with a booming voice that was just as strong screaming and deep-throating the mic as it was soothing and sweet when she belted out a ballad. The show was super inspiring and I'm glad I got to be there with such amazing girls! Thanks Erika and Audrey, it was fun!