Spent an awesome weekend taking a whitewater kayaking class on the Kern river.  The class is taught by Bill Webb who teaches at CSULB and it's a great deal.  For $120, you get 2 days of instructions, camping, food, and all equipment provided.  The first day, we just did some easy stuff (Class I and II only) and worked on our technique.  Being on a kayak in whitewater is a lot more exciting and challenging than in a raft.  Most people flipped over but I didn't   For dinner they cooked us an amazing meal of grilled chicken and shark (so good!).  There was so much food and beer (my diet is going nowhere, ugh).  The second day we started at the bridge and went down to our campsite.  There were 2 Class III rapids that were so much fun even though the water flow was only about 900 cfs, it was still pretty exhilirating.  I think I'm going to buy my own kayak (damn yet another expensive hobby/toy).  I'm going to sign up for the advanced class in October where they're going to teach us the Eskimo roll, eddy turns, ferrying, and surfing in the waves.

Update on the week before:

Electric Lotus...really good Indian restaurant in Los Feliz area.  The coconut chicken curry with the cheese and olive naan is yummy!  The bartender was hot and he even delivered our drinks to us personally (I had the kama sutra martini )

Curtains...got box seats for this musical comedy at the Ahmanson Theatre.  It was strange to sit in box seats.  Pros are you are very close and can actually see every actor's expressions but some of the scenes in the side view are hard to see.  It was nice to have your own private box though.  The musical was great...so hilarious and well written.  Highly, highly recommend!  David Hyde Pierce from Frasier is fantastic.  We ate dinner beforehand at Pinot Grill...they have a really good Pinot Noir wine.

Voda...went to this vodka bar in Santa Monica.  They have really good martinis...definitely try the Diamond and the Ingenue...delicious.  Great lounge for drinks although a bit on the small side.  Afterwards, went to go see Talladega Nights.  It was actually better than I thought it would be but I'd recommend to wait until DVD.  The funniest scenes were mostly the ones shown in the trailers but at least this Will Ferrel comedy had more of a storyline to it.

EDIT:

I think I've fallen head over heals.  He's extremely sweet and oh so hot!  He excites me and I'm full of energy when he's around.  He's always there for me when I need him most.  I don't know how I lived before him.  He's the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning.  I crave the taste of him in my mouth and with him I always swallow.  He will always be first in my heart and I promise to never cheat on him.  I'd be the happiest woman alive if he would promise to always be mine.

I  you...

...Mr. Starbucks Marble Mocha Machiatto

Day 1-Monday 8/28/06:  Arrival

We took the redeye out of LAX with a layover in Miami.  American Airlines sucks!  Our flight got canceled and instead of putting us on an earlier flight they put us on a later one and we were stuck an extra 4 hours at the airport.  We weren't able to check into our hotel, the Blue Bay Getaway Resort & Spa, until 4pm.  The hotel was nice...very cute and great service for the price we paid.  It's not in the main party center of Cancun but it was only a short bus ride away (the buses run 24 hours and only costs $0.65).  We lounged in a pool for a bit before eating at the buffet.  The food was pretty decent and better than what I was expecting.  Of course since drinks are included I had to imbibe although I took it easy since I was diving the next day.  Met 2 Brits, Andrew and Karl whom we hung out with for most of our trip.  Later that night we went to Dady Rock one of the hottest clubs in Cancun...it was ok.  Got back early at 1am since I had to get up at 6:30am the next day.

Day 2-Tuesday 8/29/06: Cenotes Cavern diving and Windsurfing

I had to get to Aquaworld, which is the tour group where I booked my scuba diving, by 7:30am where we were taken in a van to go to Chac-Mool where we would be diving in underwater caves.  We did 2 thirty minute dives which were amazing!  The water is crystal clear...looking at some of the pictures you couldn't even tell you were underwater.  There weren't that many fish but it was fun to see the light streaming through the caves and the formation of the stalactites and stalagmites were very unique and interesting to see.  An interesting phenomenon is the halocline...a clear line where the fresh water and salt water are separated.  When you swim through the halocline, the fresh and salt water mixes and the resulting solution looks blurry but as soon as you swim above or below the halocline, it clears up again.  There were only 2 other divers with me so we got a lot of attention from the divemaster and the photographer, Charlie.  Got back to the hotel around 2:30pm.  I decided to take windsurfing lessons since they were free.  It was so much fun but extremely tiring.  I could see why my instructor, Jose, was so buff   It was a great and easy place to learn as I was able to get on the board and tack (going in zig zags against the wind) a few times.  I could turn the board but it was a little harder to learn how to jibe (going with the wind).  Since the hotel is adults only there were a lot of risque entertainment.  When I got back to the pool they were having a contest where three couples had to exchange their bathing suits under a sheet.  However, the hotel staff holding the sheets kept lifting them up every 5 seconds so you could see the action...it was extremely funny.  They also had naked water polo...after every point the losing team had to take a tequila shot, haha.  We decided to stay at the hotel tonight.  Dinner was at the seafood restaurant there, Bellavista.  Their signature drinks were so delicous and the view of the ocean was incredibly gorgeous.  They also had a club called Nice Shoes (a phrase that really means nice ass) but the music wasn't that great and not extremely crowded.  We ended up hanging out on one of the beds in the outdoor bar area.

Day 3-Wednesday 8/30/06:  Scuba diving in Cozumel

Started the day at 8am and drove down to Playa del Carmen which is about 2-3 hours from Cancun.  The beach here is gorgeous.  From here we took a ferry over to Cozumel.  Another boat then took us out to 2 reefs where we could scuba dive.  Our first dive went down to 85 feet along a wall in Santa Rosa where we saw giant eels, a sea turtle (it was huge!), a stingray, lobsters, and tons of fish.  The visibility is incredible...way better than in California.  A lot warmer too...all I had on was a bikini and I only started to get a little cold on the second dive.  The next dive was only to about 35 feet along a coral reef but there were tons of colorful fish.  We had lunch at Mission Restaurant which has really good seafood.  Went shopping for a little bit in the cute stores before heading back.  Got back to the hotel pretty late and decided to have dinner at the asian restaurant, the Village Wok.  The salmon sashimi and tunafin steak were yummy!  Desserts were also fantastic.

Day 4-Thursday 8/31/06:  Chichen Itza

Another early start at 7am where we took a bus ride down to the famous ruins of Chichen Itza.  We made a couple of stops to go shopping and also at another Cenote where there was a huge tree with giant roots that reached into the underground cave for water.  We got to swim in the underground pool and some even went cliff jumping into the deep end.  We had a mexican buffet lunch and were treated to a show of mexican dancing where they balanced plates with glasses on their heads.  When we actually made it to the ruins, the weather was so hot that it was hard to concentrate on the tour guide, we just wanted to rest in the shade, lolz.  The pyramid of Kulkulkan is the main attraction and what most people think of first.  We also saw the Ball Court which is where the Mayans were thought to have played a game where the losers were sacrificed.  The acoustics in this court were amazing...an ancient version of surround sound where a clap is reverberated and the vibrations magnified. Statues of jaguars and snakes were abundant as they were special symbols to the Mayans. We also saw a whole bunch of huge iguanas.  Got back and just had dinner at the hotel buffet.  Later we got ready to go out to one of the bars...let's just say I was drunk enough to start dancing on the tables with random girls, haha.

Day 5-Friday 9/1/06:  Isla Mujeres and Swimming with the Dolphins

Got to sleep in a little bit since we didn't have to catch the ferry to Isla Mujeres (Island of Women) until 10am.  It was a short 30 minute ride over to the island and to Dolphin Discovery where we had booked the Dolphin Swim Adventure.  We got to kiss, hold hands, caress, touch, and hug him..our dolphin's name was Simba.  He was so friendly and playful.  We also got to swim holding onto his dorsal fins while he pulled us and when we got on a boogie board, he pushed us through the water.  At the end we put on a mask and snorkel and he swam around us in the water.  We even had a splashing contest with him.  He loved showing off and was doing amazing jumps as we cheered.  It was a wonderful experience and I highly recomend it to everyone.  We had lunch at the Cove restaurant and after that we went shopping in downtown and I bought some souvenirs.  On the way back to the hotel, they were doing some humorous shows on the ferry...they had a contest to see which couple could kiss the longest, which guy gave his girl the best lapdance, and which kid could collect the most stuff like hats, shirts, and flip flops.  For dinner we ate at the Italian place, Il Piacere.  We ordered 2 bottles of wine.  The shrimp risotto was really good.

Day 6-Saturday 9/2/06:  Relaxing by the pool and clubbing

Since each day we had been going out and doing a tour, it was nice to spend the whole day at the hotel and just relax.  I got to do a little sunbathing and developed quite a nice tan.  Hung out at the bar for a few hours and just drank, haha.  Met and talked to a lot of interesting people.  Since this was our last night in Cancun we decided to go check out Coco Bongo, which is one of the more famous clubs.  It's more than just a club, it's a whole show as well.  They had trapeze artists with themes from different movies like Batman, Matrix, the Mask, etc.  It was so crowded that we kept getting pushed around...luckily we got selected along with about 10 other girls to go dance on stage where there was much more room to move around.  We also danced on the bars but we had to be careful since they had holes that would blow air up girls skirts showing the whole club what underwear they were wearing underneath   Had some authentic mexican tacos as a late night snack before getting back to our room at 5:30am.

Day 7-Sunday 9/3/06:  Departure

Decided to try and make the most of our last day here by getting up and going kayaking.  There wasn't much good snorkeling by our hotel but it was fun to get a little exercise.  Spent the rest of our time just hanging out by the pool and drinking, hehe.  Took the shuttle to the airport where we boarded our flight back to LA.

Sutra Lounge...decided to try clubbing in Costa Mesa for a change of scenery.  I had always heard that the OC was a little snobbier but things couldn't have been further from the truth.  Everyone that I met was so friendly...we're used to guys buying us drinks but even GIRLS were buying us drinks left and right.  Their mango mojito and peach martinis are really good.  Appetizers were just so so.  Music was good and a pretty decent sized crowd for a Monday night.

Pageant of the Masters...got tickets for this show in Laguna Beach early since they always sell out.  Tickets include free admission to the Festival of the Arts, so we walked around there and checked out the amazing artwork.  It's been around for 70+ years.  Definitely worth checking out.  For those who are unfamiliar with what it's about, here's the description from their website.

Ninety minutes of "living pictures" - incredibly faithful art re-creations of classical and contemporary works with real people posing to look exactly like their counterparts in the original pieces. An outdoor amphitheater, professional orchestra, original score, live narration, intricate sets, sophisticated lighting, expert staff, and hundreds of dedicated volunteers have won recognition for the Pageant as the best presentation of its kind.

City Club on Bunker Hill...was invited to a reception here which is a private executive club located on the penthouse floor of the Wells Fargo Center in downtown LA.  The event was for alumni and friends of the Drucker School of Management of the Claremont Colleges.  There were free hor'dourves and an open bar so I got a little tipsy.  I think I made a few embarassing phone calls

OC Motorcycle Training...my motorcycle classes are this weekend.  I'm so excited!  Going to buy my friend's Ninja 250cc.  Everyone's been telling me how dangerous it is and I do know of several people who have died or been seriously hurt in accidents but I don't plan on riding that much...plus I plan on riding very conservatively.

EDIT:  Here are some pictures from the weekend taken from nowhere2Bfound

We drove down to La Jolla early Saturday morning and some of us rented bikes ($15/4 hours) at Hike Bike Kayak San Diego.  We rode from the top of Mt. Soledad down to Mission/Pacific Beach and then up the coast back to La Jolla.  It was fun going down the steep parts really fast.  We stopped for lunch in downtown La Jolla at My Place, a french bistro.  Cute place with good soup and sandwiches.  In the afternoon, we rented kayaks ($28/2 hours for singles and $45/2 hours for doubles) and paddled out to the La Jolla sea caves.  We saw sea lions and I did some snorkeling as well although visibility was just ok.  Surprised to find out that there are also some good dive sites in the area so will have to go back and check that out.  After the workout we went to Moondoggies in Pacific Beach for some drinks and appetizers.  They have a really fun patio to just sit and hang out.  Dinner was at Joe's Crab Shack where I had the crab balls, clam chowder, and lobster & shrimp pasta (seafood...yummy!). 

Sunday we woke up early to go rock climbing in Mission Gorge.  A short hike takes you up to some great climbing areas with some sport, trad, and top rope ranging from 5.0 to 5.12.  We had some beginners with us so I basically just top roped a 5.9 and a 5.4 instead of doing any leads.  The routes seemed like they were a little harder than what they were rated though.  Afterwards went to the San Diego Brewing Co for dinner.  Wine and some steak was the perfect way to cancel out all the benefits from being active all weekend

Ladder Theory...got this in an email from a friend.  It's a pretty humorous website that attempts to explain why girls just want to be friends and why guys can't because they always want sex.  The basic premise is that guys have only one ladder on which they rank girls based on how much they want to fuck them while girls have two ladders on which they rank guys...a friends ladder and the real ladder.  I think some of it is true but of course the theory is kind of biased.  I especially liked the term "cuddle bitch", haha.

Let's Say Thanks...free thank you cards to soldiers in Iraq.

Aire...had dinner at this restaurant in Costa Mesa.  They have really good mixed drinks. The parmesan truffle fries, spicy ahi tuna tacos, risotto, chilean sea bass, and the nutella dessert were also pretty good.  It was great hanging out with friends whom I haven't seen in a while  

Nitrox...I'm now certified to dive with enriched air.  This will allow me to dive for longer periods and expose myself to less nitrogen.

Hollywood Bowl...going to go watch Fantasia tonight with fireworks.  It's always nice to listen to some music under the stars with a bottle of wine and a picnic dinner.

Blue Bay Getaway Resort & Spa...this is where we're staying in Cancun...it's an adults only all inclusive resort which of course coupled with topless pools and unlimited alcohol...well you get the picture .  Airfare, hotel, food and drinks for 7 days/6 nights was only $752!  I plan on diving in Cozumel and cavern diving at Cenotes.  Also want to swim with the dolphins and visit Chitzen Itza.

Only one more week...I can't wait!  I really need a vacation.

Thursday...went to go watch A Chorus of Disapproval, a play at the Odyssey Theatre in West LA.  It was extremely hilarious...especially if you enjoy british humor.  Afterwards we got a chance to actually talk to the cast which was pretty neat.  I definitely recommend going to watch it.  The theatre is pretty small and intimate so every seat is a good one.

Friday...had dinner at Black Steel in Hollywood.  Their drinks are pretty good (I tried the Jade Sake) and the French/Japanese food is decent.  Chef J personally came to our table and let us sample one of his appetizers.  The decor is all black with a vodka aquarium bar.  I'd recommend just going for drinks though as the menu is pretty pricey for average food.

Saturday...booked a trip aboard the Sunfish to Anacapa, one of the Channel Islands, to go scubadiving.  For $95 you get 4 dives and it includes air fills and food.  The crew is very nice and friendly.  Visibility was great.  I was able to equalize and control my buoyancy a lot better this time.  Still had some problems though with being too underweighted at first and also not putting on my regulator tight enough so that I ran out of air too quickly on one of the dives.  It was nice being able to use all the new scuba gear that I bought at the sale at Sport Chalet.  I now have my own BC, regulator, octopus, dive lights, and dive computer.  All I need now is a 7mm wetsuit, tank, and weights.  I got a great deal on everything with most stuff being 50% off.

We saw bat rays and a lot of seals (they are so cute and playful...they like to hide and wait for you to chase after them).  Also saw two giant sea bass well over 100 pounds.  Pictures courtesy of evanjellydonut.  Afterwards we went for dinner at an all you can eat seafood buffet at the Lighthouse in Santa Monica.  The sushi was okay...better than what I was expecting which wasn't much.

Sunday...lunch at Thai Dishes in Malibu before hiking up to Sandstone Peak, the highest point in the Santa Monica mountains.  It was pretty hot in the afternoon with such an exposed trail and since we were running late we didn't do the full loop to the tri-peaks.  Later went to an LA Fun networking event at Sushi Dan in Hollywood.  Met a few interesting people.  Of the 11 course dinner the best part of the menu was the baked scallop roll and the tempura ice cream.

Monday...due to rave reviews from spygirl4 I decided to try Bikram Yoga.  I went to the one in Manhattan Beach.  It was definitely a great work out...I've never sweated so much in my life!  I realized how much I need to work on my flexibility...I think it would definitely help me with rock climbing and surfing.  They had a special...10 days for $20 so I will be trying it again.

Girls Night Out at Sushi Roku in Pasadena.  On Mondays they have happy hour from 5-10:30pm where drinks and appetizers are $3 and wine bottles are half off.  Between 7 girls we polished off 3 bottles.  We talked about planning a trip to Ibiza for next year.

Open bar at the Viper Room in West Hollywood on Tuesday night.  They were doing a promotion for KROQ so there were a lot of goth/punk types there which is a little different from the crowds in the clubs I usually go to but it's always fun to try something new.  Afterwards we had dinner at Ta-ke Sushi.  Their sushi/sashimi combo meals are a pretty good deal.  This sushi bar has a nice small, cozy, authentic Japanese, hole in the wall type feel to it.

I'm currently taking a Nitrox (enriched air) class for scuba diving.  Planning on going diving this Saturday at Anacapa, which is the closest of the Channel Islands.  Also plan on doing a dive trip to Cozumel and to one of the caverns when I'm in Cancun at the end of this month.  Maybe do my advanced certification in October.  There's a huge sale on scuba gear this Friday at Sports Chalet so I might end up buying all my own stuff.

It feels lately like I've been on a roller coaster ride of emotions.  Hopefully its just fluctuating hormone levels.  I am going to start posting protected entries about more personal stuff so if you want to be added, please comment.  If you are subscribed to me or I am subscribed to you or you have interesting content then you will be added.  I will not add anybody that doesn't have any entries.

Formosa Cafe...took my old coworker out for a belated birthday dinner in West Hollywood.  This place is so dark you can barely read the menu and there are tons of pictures of stars who have dined here lined on the wall.  It was in the movie LA Confidential.  We had wasabi fries, buttermilk fried calamari, udon noodles, and ponzu marinated salmon with coconut rice.  The food was just ok but the drinks were pretty good.

Din Tai Fung...this dumpling house in Arcadia is always packed.  But the wait is worth it for the juiciest, most flavorful dumplings ever.

L'Scorpion...this tequila bar in Hollywood has a great happy hour everyday from 6-8pm where appetizers and drinks are half off.  They're known for their cucumber and prickly pear margaritas.  The sopas are good but don't order the ceviche (too sour).

Tiny's KO...this dive bar is a pretty cool laid back place for some cheap drinks.  There are pictures of naked women all around the walls.

Holly's...this small lounge is what used to be Paladar.  Couches are separated by silvery gauze ceiling to floor drapes.  Drinks are kind of weak but the music was decent.

Fridays at Frederick's...thanks to dieselgrrrrl for the recomendation.  Free cocktails, DJ spinning music, free boy short underwear (they're cute too), and 20% off everything in the store.  There are only 2 more Fridays left so try and go if you can.  Got a little tipsy and bought some lingerie...just need to find someone to wear it for

Doughboys...this bakery and cafe has some of the best bread ever.  Their soups and salads are delicious too...I had the steak soup with the basil roasted chicken salad.

Miami Vice...despite all the bad reviews I decided to go watch this anyways because hey with Colin Farrel and Jamie Foxx at least there will be good eye candy.  But even these 2 weren't enough to make my $13 worth it.  It was like one episode dragged out over 2 hours.

S & W Country Diner...this is a great breakfast spot in Culver City if you don't mind the wait because they are always crowded.  Cheap food and they have freshly squeezed orange juice.  It was the perfect cure for a hangover after a very awesome party for Jason's 30th birthday.  There was an island theme with tiki torches on the front lawn, people dressed up in hawaiin shirts and sarong skirts, and jerk chicken.  You know it's a good party when the cops come and you don't remember everything that happened that night, lolz.

Moonshadows...this restaurant in Malibu has gorgeous views of the ocean and was recently made even more famous as the last site where Mel Gibson was seen before he was arrested for drunk driving.  The sunset was so beautiful and the food was great too.  We ordered a bottle of wine, had the tuna tartare for an appetizer, Hawaiin salmon with bok choy and shittake mushrooms in a ponzu sauce for the entree, and the chocolate souffle with hazelnut ice cream for dessert.

I think I eat and drink too much.  As of next week, I am officially going on a diet  

I drove up to Mt. Shasta City on Friday night which is about a 10-12 hour drive from LA (it's in the Cascade range in northern California by the border of Oregon).  I got in pretty late and set up camp at Bunny Flats trailhead.  A solo cartrip gives you a lot of time to think about things.  I definitely wanted a weekend to just get away from everything.  Mt. Shasta stands at an elevation of 14,142 ft. and requires the use of crampons and ice axes to safely ascend.  The best time to climb it is in mid May to mid July but with all the heavy snowfall this year, now was a great time too.

So I signed up with Alpine Skills International for the 2 day summit trip.  I met up with my guides Eric and Bill on Saturday morning at the trailhead.  There was a total of 8 plus the guides in our group (I was the only girl).  We filled out the permits and paid the $15 summit fee.  The route we took was Avalanche Gulch which is the most popular. 

It was about a 1.5 mile hike to Horse Camp.  There is a cabin here built by the Sierra Club and is the last source of water from a spring.  After that you have to melt snow for water.  From here it is 4.1 miles to the top and 6000 ft. elevation gain.

We made high camp at Helen Lake (10,443 ft.).  The guides then went over essential mountaineering skills such as how to self arrest with the ice axe, the techniques of self belay, and how to french step with the crampons.  Dinner was included in the price of the trip and included soup and chicken pasta.  Biblar tents totally rock!  They are 4 season designed for arctic conditions...you actually stick the poles inside (no sleeves) and no need for a fly, it's just all one piece.

Sunday morning we woke up at 2:30am to get ready for an alpine start.  The stars were gorgeous...infinitely numerous and so much brighter at high altitude.  It was a tough climb to reach the Red Banks, a band of high cliffs composed of welded red pumice that mark a turning point in the route.  At this point some of our group was starting to feel altitude sickness.  Plus the wind started to pick up and at one point on the ridge was blowing at almost 40mph.  It felt like it could just blow you over the edge.  Most of the group decided to turn back.  But I wanted to summit so we split up.  Alexander, Bill, and I decided to continue while the rest descended to Helen Lake with Eric (he's pictured in the orange jacket).

From the Red Banks, its more ascending until you pass Misery Hill (aptly named) to reach the Summit Plateau.  Once you reach the top though, the 360 degree views are definitely worth it.  Signed the register and took my obligatory pics.

The descent down was still tiring but a lot of fun.  We got to glissade...which is just a fancy term for sliding on your butt in the snow.  Sometimes you pick up a lot of speed and this is how a lot of people die by going too fast and losing control.  Luckily we were tied together with our harnesses and rope so that if someone lost control the others could help to self arrest.  At this point I was totally exhausted and we still had to hike down past Helen Lake since there wasn't much snow below that point to glissade.  We finally finished at the trailhead around 4:30pm (so about a total of 12 hours). 

This was definitely the toughest thing I've done so far.  But while it was challenging it was also definitely rewarding.  To push your body to the edge of its physical limits and to know exactly what you are capable of was exhilarating.  Next up...Rainier, Denali, Kilimanjaro, and maybe one day even Everest. 

EDIT:  Sometimes the biggest obstacle to my own happiness is myself.

The reason I asked about $50K in my last entry is because that's how much I have in savings right now (not including my 401k) from working for the last 5 years.  I know it's not much considering the fact that I have no expenses or debt...that's right--no rent, no car payments, no credit card debt, no school loans).  I'm currently just investing it in a mutual fund (and some CDs) but it's not doing too well so I've been thinking about just spending it, lolz.

• appetizers and drinks at Harpoon Harry's in Long Beach
  
• tacos, pizza, and microbrewed beers at the Abbey in Seal Beach
  
• happy hour at I Cugini in Santa Monica...$4 wine, $7 martinis, $5-9 appetizers from 3-8pm
  
• martinis at the Cameo Bar in the Viceroy Hotel...sitting in cabanas by the pool
  
• dessert at Shutters on the Beach

Going to climb Mt. Shasta this weekend...see you guys Monday!