Mt. Monadnock

We left Fairwood, walked there (about a mile) and started to climb the mountain around 9pm. It was understandably slow going, but that was fine because we had no pressing appointments other than finding our beds again sometime before the sun started to rise.

It was really dark. When Vanlora turned off her head lamp and I my flashlight, all objects instantly vanished from sight. However, we only did that when we stopped to take a breather. It was for the conservation of battery power, you know. I think I might have been permanently damaged if our batteries HAD died and we were stuck out there, deep in the woods on the side of the mountain. The night was moonless, so keeping to the trail would have been more than difficult. "Nearly impossible" sounds about right.

We kept up a pretty steady stream of conversation which served us well when it came to encouraging all the large, hairy, long-clawed, and big-toothed animals to keep their distance. What could be more terrifying than a couple girls talkingandtalkingandtalking? I don't know about you, but it sure scares me at times. Thankfully I'm not large, hairy, long-clawed and big-toothed (no smart comments here :), so I stuck around to keep Vanlora company.

We had agreed together if one of us broke a leg or something that: 1) "If you do, I'm not going to carry you" and 2) that we wouldn't leave one of us behind to go get help. The first was sure to result in the uninjured one getting injured and the second would have put whoever was left behind through a long and terrifying wait. Just imagine being deep in the pitch dark woods all alone, listening to every tiny sound and hoping it wasn't a hungry bear or a huge angry bull moose about to find you. In any case, we had brought a cell phone with us, so it was all good.

Actually, I wasn't afraid at all. Ok, maybe a couple times near then end of the hike when I was getting tired and the crunching sounds from the woods got a little too loud... but other than that, I was fine.

The only wildlife we saw in the beam of our lights was one fuzzy bunnie rabbit and one very small and swift rodent. The view from the top was fabulous; for living out in the boonies, there still manages to be a lot of lights trailing to the horizon. I would have brought my camera to prove that we'd done this, but it's not at it's best in the dark, so I left it behind. Too bad.

Vanlora and I made it back to the bottom of the mountain around 12am and walked the mile back, arriving at Fairwood a bit before 1am. We'd been meandering, that's why it took so long. I wouldn't want you all to think we were so terribly out of shape that it took us 3 hours to climb a mountain that should only take around 2, or anything. :-D

It was fun, you guys should do it sometime!

100 things about me (yeah, I know, it's a cop out)

1. ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT?
A series of 3 half inch scars in a row on the side of my heel. When I was just born, the doctor wasn't able to draw blood with the conventional means, so he switched to plan B

2. WHAT DOES YOUR CELL PHONE LOOK LIKE?
I'm rarely out of reach of a land line, so why get a cell phone?

3. WHAT MUSIC DO YOU LIKE TO LISTEN TO?
No heavy metal, pop or someone taking classical and sacred and blending them together

4. DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU WERE BORN?
Sometime early in the morning

5. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW?
To be in heaven (don't worry, I'm not prone to suicidal tenancies)

6. WHAT DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Now there's a broad question. One would have to be being allowed to drive

7. WHAT IS YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION?
A prized possession would be my black hoodie

8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SMELL?
Rubbing alcohol, sun-dried sheets, and the air right after a rain

9. DO YOU GET CLAUSTROPHOBIC?
No. It's all about mind-control

10. DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DARK?
No, except I do get a little nervous walking down a moonless pitch dark country road, but once one applies the answer to the previous question, one realizes the chances of being attacked by a grouchy bear are very thin. Tripping over a porcupine is far more likely. After I do that, I then get distracted by trying to avoid veering off the road and walking face-on into a tree.

11. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOGNE / PERFUME TO WEAR?
Too much perfume gives me a headache, so why attach it to myself?

12. WHAT KIND OF HAIR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX?
At least three strands, blue-black (so black it looks almost really dark blue... hard to explain) or blond. Oh, and mullets give me the willies

13. WHERE CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF BEING PROPOSED TO AT?
Bad grammar. It should be more like At which place can you see yourself being proposed to?

14. COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINKS?
Surprisingly enough, I've never had an energy drink, so I'll have to get back to you on that

15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIZZA TOPPING?
Everything. Olives and feta cheese especially

16. IF YOU COULD EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I have no appetite, so nothing sounds good at the moment

17. WHO IS THE LAST PERSON YOU MADE MAD?
Other than myself... ?

18. DO YOU SPEAK A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE?
I've heard that men sometimes believe women speak a different one than themselves

19. WHAT WAS THE FIRST GIFT SOMEONE EVER GAVE YOU (OF THE OPPOSITE SEX)?
First?? Most likely it was my dad and I would have been faaaaaaaaaar too young to recall what it was. In relatively recent memory (the last 5 years or something)... a red rose.

20. WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE KNOWING THAT THE PERSON IS LEAVING?
Uh... define 'falling in love' and 'leaving'

21. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TELL SOMEONE HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO YOU?
The best would be face-to-face, however, it's also potentially the most awkward way

22. SAY A NUMBER FROM ONE TO A HUNDRED.
From one to a hundred? Don't you mean between? I've always liked 22

23. BLONDES OR BRUNETTES?
Yes

24. WHAT IS THE ONE NUMBER YOU CALL OFTEN?
Home, then either Katie's cell, or my parent's cell

25. WHAT ANNOYS YOU MOST?
Having to trim my fingernails

26. HAS ANYONE EVER SPIT ON YOU?
Does spit up count? In which case that would have been Joseph

27. YOUR WEAKNESSES?
I am proud to announce I have none. Just read my book Humility, and How I Conquered It and you will come to agree with me

28. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB?
Might have been constructing Math-U-See block sets, if that counts

29. EVER DONE A PRANK CALL?
Just the other day I came close to convincing Katie that I was some stranger calling about the canoe they'd advertised for their yard sale. Only there wasn't a canoe, so she was trying to politely tell me I was mistaken. That's about as far as I got before she was sure enough it was me to start laughing

30. WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU FILLED OUT THIS SURVEY?
Training my attack goldfish to bark on command

31. IF YOU COULD GET PLASTIC SURGERY WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I'd rather use that money on something else... say, brain surgery or skydiving lessons

32. WHY DID YOU FILL OUT THIS SURVEY?
Because it's perfect for a blog post, at least for lazy people like myself

33. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST?
Maybe my ability to listen? I don't know

34. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF ALCOHOL BECAME ILLEGAL?
Quickly build a stil deep in the woods at the base of Mt. Monadnock so I could get a corner on the black market

35. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY?
My two front teeth

36. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT?
Between three and five

37. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
My mom, Sue

38. DO YOU WISH ON STARS?
Uh, no

39. WHICH FINGER[S] IS YOUR FAVORITE?
Thumb and pointer finger on my right hand. Couldn't do without 'em

40. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY?
This isn't a fair question to ask a woman

41. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Nope

42. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Sliced turkey, I suppose

43. ANY BAD HABITS?
Talking too much about myself in conversations where I'm nervous or uncomfortable. Familiar territory seems safer, you know

44. WHAT IS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING CD YOU OWN?
I don't feel embarrassed by any of them

45. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Hmm, sure. I'm open to friendships with almost anyone, no matter how distasteful they may be

46. DO LOOKS MATTER?
Down deep, no. Socially, yeah, sometimes

47. HOW DO YOU RELEASE ANGER?
Release anger, what's that?

48. WHERE IS YOUR SECOND HOME?
Well, one has to have a first home, first. If I did have a first home, then the Demme's was my second

49. DO YOU TRUST OTHERS EASILY?
To some extent, yes. But I often hold some in reserve

50. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD?
My teddy bear that I lost... I still miss it. **sniff**

51. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
HA! No never, what an utterly ridiculous question!

52. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A MOSH PIT?
Ew?

53. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?
All I want is to be able to look up at him

54. WHAT ARE YOUR NICKNAMES?
Rach, Fran, Rachabelle, Druggy, Gabby

55. DO YOU UN-TIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
I wear shoes with laces so infrequently that I had to go look in my closet. What did I find? One pair was tied, the other untied. Hmmm

56. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
One favorite is Edys strawberry

57. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR?
Purple

58. HOW MANY WISDOM TEETH DO YOU HAVE?
I only had two in the first place, but they are gone now

59. WHO/WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST RIGHT NOW?
Depends. Currently: being allowed to drive

60. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS?
That wasn't my point in posting this

61. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's Take Me Home Country Road

62. LAST THING YOU ATE?
A handful of dry roasted sunflower seeds

63. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
John L. He wanted to talk to Brandon. (I answer Fairwood's phone)

64. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE IN THE OPPOSITE SEX?
Whether they are breathing or not

65. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
San Francisco, CA

66. SCARIEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU?
Being in the Tel Aviv airport when there was a bomb scare and joining the crowd of people running away from the suspected area. Or, on a solo trip to Israel, almost getting lost in the Paris airport because of all the really confusing construction and the fact that when I asked for directions, even though they spoke English, it still sounded like French because their accent was so thick. I could just imagine myself wandering around the place for hours, then missing my plane and getting stuck there for who knows how long

67. FAVORITE DRINK?
For comfort; hot milk with vanilla, sugar and whipped cream on the top. For everyday; ice cold water lightly flavored with lemon and sweetened with a lil sugar

68. FAVORITE JOKE?
Don't really have one

69. FAVORITE SPORT?
Watching friends watch sports

70. YOUR HAIR COLOR?
Dark brown

71. YOUR EYE COLOR?
Dark brown, except in direct sunlight, then they go tawny

72. DO YOU WEAR GLASSES?
Used to, but no more, thankfully

73. SIBLINGS?
Too many. JUST KIDDING! Seven

74. FAVORITE MONTH?
Whichever of them are warm

75. YOU LIKE SUSHI?
No like sushi. Actually, I only had it once, so maybe I could have my mind changed

76. LAST THING YOU WATCHED?
Lady in the Water

77. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR?
Whichever is the one right after I finish my taxes

78. ARE YOU TOO SHY TO ASK SOMEONE OUT?
I'm getting braver every day ;-P

79. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Summer all the way

80. IF THERE WAS A QUESTION HERE YOU DIDN'T APPROVE OF, WOULD YOU CHANGE IT?
I already did, #13. It had a problem with incorrect grammar

81. WHO DO YOU SECRETLY LOVE?
If I told you, it wouldn't be secret anymore, now would it?

82. FAVORITE SONG AT THE MOMENT?
Nickel Creek, The Hand Song

83. LAKE OR OCEAN?
Ocean

84. BIGGEST TURNOFF?
Bad breath

85. LAST TIME YOU SAW YOUR BEST FRIEND
What, I can only have one?

86. LAST KISS:
Hmm... maybe when I was a baby?

87. LAST TEXT YOU RECEIVED:
Closest to a text would be the text in an e-mail from my sister and it's far too long to reproduce here

88. DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH?
I never was the crush type

89. DO YOU WISH YOU CAN SEE ANYONE PARTICULAR RIGHT NOW?
Do they have to be alive? Cause I'd like to meet my grandpa Adams

90. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NAME?
Mahershallalhashbaz

91. HIGH SCHOOL YOU ATTENDED/ ARE ATTENDING:
Living Waters Academy, Good Shephard Academy and Open Door Academy

92. WHERE ARE YOU NOW?
In the living room of my (!) apartment

93. ARE YOU SMILING?
No, my face is currently in screen saver mode

94. WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?
A stone washed cranberry/pinkish Life is Good t-shirt, a short jean skirt and my black hoodie

96. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE?
Hmmm... maybe Gladiator (don't take this as a recommendation, though)

97. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SONG?
I'm sure I have one, I just can't remember the title right now :)

98. WHEN WAS YOUR LAST RELATIONSHIP?
Still have all my relationships, why would I get rid of them?? I love my friends and family

99. EVER BEEN DRUNK?
I plead the fifth... just kidding... no

100. PLAN ON GETTING DRUNK SOON?
Naaa, I already have trouble with a hazy brain, why add to it?