FALL IN THE GREAT NORTHWEST

WELL, I DIDN'T MISS THE FALL SEASON, WHICH IS MY FAVORITE. THIS CITY IS BEAUTIFUL... SNOW CAPPED MOUNTAINS, THE WATER, THE REDS, YELLOWS AND ORANGES OF THE CHANGING LEAVES. MY MOM GOT US A ROOM AT THE SHERATON IN DOWNTOWN. WE ARE ABOUT 5 BLOCKS FROM THE WATER AND PIKE PLACE MARKET. MY AUNT CAME AND MET US ON SATURDAY AND WE WENT DOWN TO THE MARKET AND WALKED AROUND AND HAD LUNCH. WE ALSO VENTURED OUT TO CHINATOWN WHICH IS ABOUT 14 BLOCKS AWAY. I'VE BEEN EATING LIKE CRAZY AND HAVING NO REMORSE. YESTERDAY MY UNCLE AND COUSIN ROB CAME AND MET US AT THE SEATTLE SCIENCE CENTER FOR A SHOWING OF THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS. THEY ARE THESE SCROLLS FOUND IN CAVES BY THE DEAD SEA AND THEY ARE LIKE 2,200 YEARS OLD AND TRANSLATED, ARE PIECES OF THE BIBLE. I'M NOT THE BEST TO EXPLAIN BUT IT WAS REALLY AMAZING.
CHECKING OUT OF THE HOTEL TODAY AND SAYING GOODBYE TO MOM...
ROB IS PICKING US UP AND TAKING MY MOM TO THE AIRPORT AND THEN I WILL BE STAYING WITH HIM UNTIL I LEAVE ON WEDNESDAY FOR BANGKOK, THAILAND!!!
CHANGED MY PLANS A LITTLE FOR THE BUDGETS SAKE. THAILAND'S AVG DAILY BUDGET IS $10-15... THAT'S WITH A PLACE TO STAY!
WELL, BETTER GO... WILL SPILL MORE WHEN I KNOW MORE...

QUICK UPDATE

LEFT MY LITTLE ISLAND PARADISE BEHIND... BUT HAD THE BEST LAST DIVE. WE HAD A STAFF DIVE AND WENT OUT TO THE TIP OF THE ISLAND AND GOT DROPPED OFF OVER THE REEF WALL AND WENT DOWN TO ABOUT 150 ft, WE WERE SWIMMING ALONG THE WALL AND ALL OF A SUDDEN BARRY(THE SHOP OWNER) AND I BOTH LOOK DOWN AND SEE A SCALLOPED HAMMERHEAD SWIMMING ABOUT 30ft BELOW US. IT WAS AMAZING, IT IS A REALLY REALLY RARE THING TO SEE THERE. WE WERE THE ONLY 2 THAT SAW IT AND I WILL NEVER FORGET IT. ABOUT 30 MIN. AFTER WE GET BACK, EVERYONE IN WEST END KNOWS ABOUT IT OF COURSE HATE US, AND THE NEXT MORNING THERE WERE 5 BOATS IN THE SAME SPOT.
SPENT MY LAST DAY WITH JESSI, WE WENT ON A MARATHON SNORKEL TRIP THAT LASTED OVER 2 HOURS BUT WAS REALLY NICE. SAID MY GOODBYE'S FEELING PRETTY GOOD AND AS SOON AS I GOT IN THE TAXI TO GO TO THE AIRPORT, I STARTED CRYING AND DIDN'T STOP UNTIL HALFWAY TO HOUSTON. I THINK I WAS GOING THROUGH SOME KIND OF CULTURE SHOCK BEING BACK IN THE STATES. HAD A 3 HOUR LAYOVER IN TEXAS AND WENT TO THE FOOD COURT AND JUST WALKED AROUND AND LOOKED AT ALL THE FOOD. KIND OF FELT LIKE I DON'T REALLY FIT IN HERE... BUT I'M SURE I WILL ADJUST QUICKLY. I'M IN SEATTLE, CATCHING A SHUTTLE TO WHIDBEY ISLAND IN A FEW MINUTES.

I'M A DIVEMASTER!!!

YEAH!!!!!!!! I AM A DIVEMASTER. JUST GOT SIGNED OFF YESTERDAY. SO EXCITING.
TRUDGED TROUGH THE LAST FEW EXAMS AND ACTUALLY GOT 100% ON MY PHYSIOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT TESTS AND A 95% ON MY DECOMPRESSION THEORY TEST. GUESS STUDYING REALLY DOES HELP...
HAD MY SNORKEL TEST LAST NIGHT. I THINK I MIGHT HAVE TOLD YOU ABOUT IT BEFORE... IT'S LIKE AN INITIATION FOR THE NEW DM's. I DID MINE AT SUNDOWNERS. ALEX, MY MENTOR, TOOK THE JUG FROM THE BLENDER AND JUST STARTED FILLING IT WITH LOTS OF LIQUOR AND SOME JUICE AND THEN THEY PASS IT AROUND THE BAR AND EVERYONE POURS A LITTLE BIT OF THEIR DRINK IN AS WELL. YUK. THE JUG WAS ABOUT 3/4 FULL. THEN I HAD TO PUT A MASK AND SNORKEL ON AND ATTACHED TO THE SNORKEL IS A FUNNEL. EVERYONE COUNTS DOWN AND ALEX STARTS POURING IT ALL INTO THE FUNNEL AND I HAVE TO DRINK IT THROUGH THE SNORKEL. IT WAS DISGUSTING BUT I DRANK IT ALL WITHOUT STOPPING! THEN DRANK WATER ALL NIGHT. WILL POST PICS SOON. IT WAS GOOD FUN. LEAVING IN 6 DAYS... WILL MISS THE PEOPLE AND THE OCEAN BUT WILL SOON BE NEAR ANOTHER ONE SOON ENOUGH.
HERE ARE A FEW PICS FROM THE DIVE SHOP.

JESS, ALEX, CAM AND I ON CAM'S LAST NIGHT

PAINTBALL

A PAINTBALL COURSE HAS JUST OPENED A LITTLE WAYS DOWN THE ROAD FROM THE WEST END AND A FEW SHOPS ORGANIZED A PAINTBALL MATCH.
IT WAS OUR SHOP AND TYLL'S DIVE SHOP WHICH IS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM US. WE HAD A GIRLS AND A BOYS TEAM. WE ONLY HAVE 2 GIRLS AT OUR SHOP AT THE MINUTE AND ONE IS THE OWNER AND SHE WASN'T FEELING WELL, SO IT WAS JESSI AND I. ALSO WE RECRUITED NELSON, OUR BOAT CAPTAIN TO BE ON THE GIRLS TEAM AS WELL. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN. IT WAS BASICALLY A CLEARING IN THE WOODS WITH LITTLE BUNKERS AND HUTS AND THINGS. WE WORE FACE MASKS AND THEY HAD THESE CAMOUFLAGED SUITS THAT YOU COULD WEAR BUT IT WAS TOO HOT ALTHOUGH NELSON WORE ONE. JESS AND I RAN AROUND LIKE KAMIKAZE PAINTBALLERS AND HAVE THE BRUISES TO SHOW FOR IT. GREAT FUN... HAVE A FEW PICS WILL POST SOON. PLAYING AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY.

A DAY IN THE LIFE

SLOWLY CHOMPING AWAY AT THE LAST REQUIREMENTS I HAVE BEFORE I BECOME A "PROFESSIONAL" SCUBA DIVER. I TOOK MY PHYSICS TEST A FEW DAYS AGO AND FAILED. ALEX HAD TAUGHT ME ALL THE EQUATIONS AND I FELT REALLY GOOD ABOUT THEM BUT KIND OF FORGOT TO STUDY THE THEORY SECTION. I GOT ALL THE EQUATIONS CORRECT ON THE FIRST TEST SO I STUDIED FOR LIKE AN HOUR RIGHT AFTER AND RE-TOOK THE TEST AND ONLY MISSED 2. GLAD THAT'S OVER, I ALSO TOOK MY PHYSIOLOGY TEST YESTERDAY AND GOT 100%!!! WOO HOO.
IT'S REALLY GETTING DOWN TO THE WIRE AND EXPECT TO BE A FULL FLEDGED DIVEMASTER BY THE END OF THE WEEK!
I TOLD YOU ABOUT THE SITE I HAVE BEEN MAPPING AND SO ALEX AND I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK THE OTHER DAY SO I COULD GET SOME LAST MINUTE MEASUREMENTS. IT WAS SUCH A FUN DIVE. THERE IS THIS ONE CAVE THAT YOU BASICALLY HAVE TO SWIM THROUGH A CURVY PITCH BLACK TUNNEL (WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE TORCHES) FOR MAYBE 15 FEET AND IT OPENS UP INTO A LITTLE AREA THAT IS SURROUNDED BY REEF BUT OPEN AT THE TOP, MEANING THAT THE ONLY WAY TO GET OUT OF THIS AREA IS TO SWIM BACK THROUGH THE TUNNEL. SO I COME OUT FIRST AND THIS OPEN AREA WHICH IS NORMALLY VERY CLEAR AND BRIGHT WAS VERY DARK AND MURKY. WITH ALL THE RAIN WE HAVE BEEN HAVING THE VISIBILITY HASN'T BEEN THAT GREAT. I WAS SWIMMING OVER ALL THE ROCKS AND RUBBLE AND LOOK OVER AND SEE A HUGE ROUND GREEN BODY ABOUT AS BIG A ROUND AS A BASKETBALL AND LONGER THAN ME. I FREAK OUT... I SCREAM IN MY REGULATOR, TURN TO GO GET ALEX WHO HASN'T COME OUT OF THE CAVE YET AND WRITE ON MY SLATE BIG MORAY EEL!!! AND HE CAN SEE IN MY EYES THAT I WAS SCARED. NOW WHEN I SAY SCARED I DON'T MEAN LIKE PANIC ATTACK OR ANYTHING THAT SERIOUS BECAUSE I SEE THEM ALL THE TIME AND THEY WON'T HURT YOU BUT THIS ONE WAS HUGE AND THE FACT THAT I WAS IN THIS SMALL CONFINED SPACE DIDN'T SIT WELL WITH ME. SO ANYWAY... ALEX PULLS HIS KNIFE OUT, JUST TO MAKE ME FEEL STUPID, AND WE ARE SLOWLY SWIMMING OVER TO WHERE IT WAS AND I AM LIKE ON TOP OF HIM, YOU KNOW WHEN YOU ARE LIKE CREEPING AROUND BEHIND SOMEONE? SAME THING WE WERE JUST UNDERWATER. WE SEE IT AND IT'S HEAD IS UP AND LOOKING AT US, THAT THING WAS HUGE AND THEY RESPIRATE THROUGH THEIR MOUTHS SO THEY ARE ALWAYS OPENING AND CLOSING THEIR MOUTHS AND THEY ALWAYS LOOK MAD! SO I LIKE ROLL OVER TO TRY TO GO BACK THROUGH THE CAVE AND ALEX AND I GET TANGLED UP IN EACH OTHERS EQUIPMENT AND I AM HALF LAUGHING AND HALF RUNNING FOR MY LIFE AND WE GO BACK THROUGH THE CAVE AND ALEX IS TRYING TO GRAB MY LEG TO SCARE ME. I KNEW NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN BUT YOU KNOW HOW IT CAN BE WHEN YOU GET FREAKED OUT. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!! WE ARE GOING BACK TOMORROW AND HE IS GOING TO BRING HIS VIDEO CAMERA.
ALSO, JESSI DECIDED TO COME BACK... GUESS THIS IS JUST ONE OF THOSE PLACES! SHE SPENT A WEEK IN ANTIGUA AND WAS READY FOR SOME MORE ROATAN. NOT SURE WHAT HER PLANS ARE BUT SHE GOT A SWEET LITTLE APARTMENT WITH A TV!!! SO EXCITING. SPENT A FEW HOURS TODAY LAYING AROUND WATCHING TV WITH HER AND CATCHING UP ON THE GOSSIP SHE MISSED OUT ON WHILE SHE WAS AWAY.
WELL, I NEED TO GO HOME AND STUDY FOR YET ANOTHER LOVELY EXAM...

PICS FROM A DAY OFF

HERE ARE A FEW PICKS FROM THE DAY ALEX, CAM, JESS AND I RENTED THE JEEP. CAMERON WASN'T FEELING TOO HOT SO HER DECIDED TO TAKE A NAP... LOOKS LIKEHE WASN'T THE ONLY ONE, SEE THE LADY IN THE BACKGROUND?

LITTLE HOLIDAY TO CEIBA

JESSI WAS LEAVING HERE ON SUNDAY FOR CEIBA AND THEN SHE'S GOING TO GUATEMALA FOR BIT THEN WHO KNOWS. ANYWAYS SHE ASKED ME TO GO WITH HER SO WE LEFT ON SUNDAY ON THE FERRY OVER TO THE LOVELY TOWN OF CEIBA. CAN YOU SENSE THE SARCASM? ONCE WE GOT OFF THE FERRY WE HAD EVERY MEAL PLANNED OUT. WE HAD THE TAXI DRIVER TAKE US DIRECTLY TO BURGER KING. THEN LATER WE WENT AND HAD CHINESE FOOD. WE STAYED IN A FAIRLY NICE HOTEL AND TURNED THE A/C ON FULL BLAST. IT WAS GREAT SLEEPING UNDER COVERS AND I ACTUALLY FORGOT WHAT BEING COLD FELT LIKE. THE NEXT MORNING WE WENT TO THE "MALL". IT'S NOT A MALL LIKE HOME BUT STILL VERY EXCITING. WE ATE AT WENDY'S AND THEN APPLEBEES. IT WAS HEAVEN.
CAME BACK YESTURDAY EVENING.
STILL PLUGGING AWAY AT ALL MY DM REQUIREMENTS. I DID A SCUBA REVIEW TODAY. IT'S A SHORT REFRESHER FOR SOMEONE WHO HASN'T BEEN DIVING IN A WHILE. I HAD TO GO OVER SOME WORKSHEETS SHE HAD TO DO, HELP HER SETUP HER EQUIPMENT, THEN TAKE HER OUT IN SHALLOW WATER AND DEMONSTRATE ABOUT 7 SKILLS AND THEN SHE HAD TO REPEAT THEM. IT WAS REALLY COOL AND ALEX SAID I DID REALLY WELL. ANOTHER SCARY THING I HAVE LEFT TO DO IS TO LEAD CERTIFIED DIVERS. WHICH MEANS I WILL GIVE A BRIEFING ON THE DIVE SITE AND THEY WILL FOLLOW ME AROUND AND I HAVE TO GET US BACK TO THE BOAT. GUESS I SHOULD GET USED TO IT IF I EVER WANT TO GET A DIVEMASTER JOB.
JESS LEFT HER SCOOTER WITH ME AND ALEX AND HE IS GOING TO TEACH ME HOW TO DRIVE IT... THAT SHOULD BE INTERESTING.
ALEX'S BIRTHDAY IS ON THURSDAY SO WE ARE HAVING A BBQ AT THE DIVESHOP AFTER WE CLOSE WHICH WILL BE FUN, SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND HOMEMADE FOOD!!!
NOT MUCH ELSE GOING ON HERE. HOPE EVERYONE IS ENJOYING FALL, I AM MISSING IT FOR SURE.