Below are the most recent 4 friends' journal entries.

Thursday, December 17th, 2009
kauaioo	5:43p	My to-do list of things I HATE to do. Hence it not being my 'already done' list. Get a lap top. I kinda need one now so I can watch dvds and downloaded tv episodes (we've no tv in the wild west). It would also be useful to be able to access the internet through the pub's wi fi rather than arranging my life around the library's opening hours! (we can't get internet in our house because apparently the service would be so slow that the internet providers won't even provide it because we'd just complain about it being slow.) So, getting myself a lap top is something I'm planning right now. But, I hate all things technical and it's bound to cause me a great deal of stress. deep breath, yoga pose, empty the mind And I'm back. Music. So, if I finally get around to getting a lap top that I can put some music onto, maybe then I should look into ways of getting it off there and into a music playing device. I have an MP3 player with some songs on it. I put them on when I bought it 2-3 years ago. Then I lost the software. Then I tried to download new software. Then I cried. Then I gave up. So, having some new music to listen to would be an interesting experience for me. I think I might give it a go. I'm thinking an I Pod is the way to go, apparently i-tunes is very user friendly (even for someone as....special....as me). We'll see. So far I am not convinced. I have a very bad track record with music playing devices. In fact, with electrical things in general. Well, I guess that's not a very long list now that I've sat down and written it out :) This pleases me. The stress levels while just thinking about this list are very high. However, the possibilities of plugging an i pod into speakers at home and into the stereo in the car are exciting me! I've been exposed to some such technology through my current housemates. Maybe it is time I got my act together too. At least now I have a plan! And, I have helpers. So, the technology plan for 2010 is ready to be rolled out! I aim to have it complete by Summer. I think that's a reasonable time frame for me. That way I'll have it all sorted out for next year's trip. This would please me. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
kauaioo	5:18p	Kayaking I GOT MY ROLL!!!! :-) This is a HUGE thing! And I'm delighted to have gotten it before Christmas. It's a brilliant high to end the year on :-) Well, it would have been more of a high if I didn't go and pick up a virus in the pool. The doctor said I shouldn't spend extended periods of time outdoors and I shouldn't do anything that causes physical stress to my body. I asked about kayaking - definitely no kayaking! So, there goes my training course for this week! I guess it's well timed because this is a light week - I'm well ahead on everything to date and I'm not missing any new stuff. It also meant that I got home to Dublin a little bit earlier than expected, although the drive took it out of me today. So, I'm home! I'm sick. But I'm happy :-) (Comment on this)
Saturday, December 12th, 2009
kauaioo	1:54p	Christmas Countdown I'm REALLY looking forward to Christmas this year. I'm loving my course, loving every minute of it, but I am very excited about the two-week break up ahead. I need to get back to Dublin. I need to spend time with my close friends. I need to eat chocolate. I need time with my family. I need to decorate my Christmas tree. I just need to go home. This is the second time since I moved here that I've felt homesick. I am settled over here and I enjoy living here, but it's not home. It could become home over time, perhaps, but it is not home yet. The two main components of home for me are friends and family. I chat to my family frequently on the phone but now I need some time with them in person. I chat to my friends less frequently, I feel a little out of my loop since I moved here. That's unavoidable, but I am looking forward to getting home for two weeks of how things used to be. In other news, I've been Christmas shopping last weekend and today. God it's stressful! Actually, it was fine at the beginning - some people are very easy to buy for so it felt good seeing the presents start to pile up and feeling like I was making great progress. And then I hit a wall! I have 3 presents left to get. Two have to be shopped for, I'm hoping for divine inspiration to hit me! And the third I just have to be convinced about before splashing out. Of course, I won't be convinced so I'll either buy it and hope it's a good present, or frantically try to find something different between now and xmas. Either way it's stressful! Why do we do this to ourselves?! (Comment on this)
Friday, December 11th, 2009
kauaioo	1:20p	Burren Trip - Take II I got back yesterday from another 4-day climbing trip to the Burren. The weather was a lot better this time and given the fact that we had been to the area before we were used to the crags and so got a lot more done. I'm really looking forward to the SPA training in January. Climbing is fantastic :) In terms of the actual climbing, I'm leading Severes fairly comfortably now. Although, there are sometimes moments on the climbs... I led one yesterday called Diagonals (in Ail na Cronin). The climb was really enjoyable and sustained - each section was a little different and challenging in different ways. I found the exposed section really enjoyable. I found the middle, still exposed and slightly precarious section, enjoyable also. Then I got to the final section - a vertical corner with a crack for gear but with nothing but sloping holds. I placed 4 nuts in that section alone, it was only about 6/7ft high but for me it was the crux. I wasn't too happy for a time but I just got on with it and was mighty glad to get it finished. So, Severes are where I'm at right now. I'm fine on a lot of them and then I get nervy in some parts of some of them. So, my plan is to stick to Severes until about February. I reckon by then I'll be ready to push onto HS (Hard Severes). We had a review session during the week which involved a reflective exercise and setting personal goals. Mine are to get back to the level of kayaking I was at 5 weeks ago (that's the last time I was in a kayak!) then to maintain that level for a bit. My climbing goals are to lead HS by February. I'm slowly but surely working my way towards my ultimate aim of leading HVS. With hillwalking my aim is to get up to 4kph. I'm at a steady 3kph at present with 30seconds per contour. I'd like to maintain the 30sec per contour but push up to 4kph. If I got there, I'd be absolutely ecstatic! Well, that's plenty to think about and to work towards for the new year. Oh - I just realised that I have done no thinking at all about my plans for 2010. Maybe that's because the current plan I am working to is a 2-year plan and it's all very much on track for now. I don't feel the need to make changes or additions to it just yet. Hm, that's a good sign I guess. (Comment on this)