Curiosity killed the what?!

   Kismet is definitely the picture of a curious sub-three-year-old kitty. If I light a candle, she absolutely won't leave it alone. And well she looks pretty in the soft glow, she's risking her fur going up in flames.

Here she's risking being shipped across the country. She won't get out of the box.

Here she's risking getting shut in the dryer, to chase the "dryer bunnies" that Sean gave me for my birthday.

Here she's stealing my seat, and risking being sat upon, or smothered by that fluffy down blanket.

Troublemaker!

Olympics highs & lows

   The best thing about the Olympics is that I've spent a lot of quality time at home on the couch with my pets over the last couple of weeks.

   The worst thing about the Olympics is the repeated and gratuitous use of the words "twizzle" and "Ligety".

Rats!

   Fun with actual text from the PADI Adventures in Diving book:

Quite a team

   I never would have believed this, had I not seen it myself… I heard Kismet coming up through the door from the basement. I turned to see Aki sitting just outside the door. Kismet was carrying a live mouse in her mouth and just as she came through the door, she released it, Aki pounced on it and chomped it (almost) to death in one fell swoop.

   Horrified by what I had just witnessed, I ran to the mouse's rescue and scooped it up in an old towel that was nearby, used to wipe the dogs feet when they come in from the snow. I could tell the mouse was not much longer for this world... But at least it wouldn't be eaten by these two. These two who are now, apparently, partners in crimes against smaller mammals.

   With this new reality, I can only imagine how successful they will be as a team. Each has already caught their fair share of wildlife single-handedly. Lord help the little animals!

Drawing time: Shark and platypus

   Couple of new pieces to share: I drew myself diving with a friendly whale shark on Scott's dive slate while we were waiting for a couple of novice divers to finish up in the pool. (The funny thing is it's not at all to scale… I would be much, much smaller compared to a real-life whale shark, as I found out firsthand in 2012.)

   And let me just say, a sport that combines my love of swimming & my love of animals… & the ability to draw pictures underwater… Like, up to 100 feet underwater? Awesomest. Thing. Ever.

   I drew this guy for my friend/coworker, Charlie, because he's very unique--both in his personality and in his incategorizable role at work. So I call Charlie "the platypus". He's one of several true creative geniuses with whom I've had the pleasure of working. Our partner Amy is brilliant as well. I don't have a colorful nickname for her… Yet. (Unless she is simply the "tiny pies girl")  ;)

    I really enjoy experimenting by drawing with different instruments, like a pencil on a dive slate versus a nearly worn out Sharpie marker. It gives the finished pieces a totally different quality, and it also challenges me to draw differently to suit the media. Are the magic of the iPhone, I can crop and add filters to, to give them yet another dimension. (Ha! I just made myself think of "Intergalactic" by the beastie boys. "Another dimension, another dimension…")

Back in KC 9/7

   I have a squeeze in my left jaw, possibly an infection in my left ear, and after running this morning, a rash on my stomach. I seem to have developed an allergy to life on dry land. Back to Roatan!!!!!!

Mobbed 9/7

I've been home for 10 minutes, and I've already been serenaded by Aki at the door, rushed by the kitty, and pinned to the couch by lover boy. Makes the transition home from vacation a bit nicer, I'd say.

   I treasure the few minutes that the animals go crazy over me. It doesn't last long, since Mary Ann spends so much time here while I'm gone. They definitely miss me, but it's clear that they aren't lonely. I'm SO lucky to have her looking out for them and me.

   Still, Kismet is making sure I never leave again:

New friends + new skills 9/6

   My trip to Roatan has been phenomenal. My goal for the trip had been to become a more confident diver, but it became so much more than that: the people have been the best part, both the locals & my fellow travelers. I felt at home immediately with the group of around 60 travelers; most hailed from KC, and a few from farther out: Liesl, Julia and Eric from Juneau, Alaska; Chad from Minnesota, Dave from Miami, and the brothers from Iowa.

   So many people from the group made a huge impression on me, and I hope to dive with them again soon, and to eventually connect with the people I didn't have a chance to spend much time with. I particularly hit it off with Dan, Jonathan, Ellen, Jackie, and the Alaska contingency--Liesl was my roommate in the fantasy over-water cabana. As one of the newest people in the group (many in this crowd have trained and/or traveled together previously), I was honored to be so welcomed and included.

   In part because I was traveling alone and we happened to be on the same boat, and in part because he was just so much fun to hang out with, I dove 26 of my 28 dives with Dan, a PADI instructor. We were all fast friends, and the bonus for me was that He was able to help me with my skills, and complete training exercises as part of our regular dives. I felt very safe with Dan looking out for me and hope to pass that on to another new diver someday.

   In all I earned several certifications (they will be official once I read the manuals and complete the written knowledge reviews): advanced open water, deep diving, underwater navigation, night diving, and (ship) wreck diving. While these are great to have in case I ever choose to dive professionally (I'm being steered toward Divemaster training by Sam, Dan, & Jonathan), the great thing is that all the practice make me a safer diver--and equip me to help others discover a sport that is quickly becoming one of my top favorites. I learned a lot from our Roatan Divemaster, Kirk, as well.

   This trip was the perfect blend of fun and education. I learned that I only need to dive with 5 lbs, not 16 (and I might be able to get to 4), I learned to use a compass, I learned to identify a bunch of fish, and I improved my buoyancy.

   I've come a long way from learning to swim less than four years ago and never dreamed all this was possible. Feeling very blessed to have had such a great trip on so many levels.

   

   

Sharktastic! 9/4

This morning my dive buddies were 9' long and toothy. We dived down 70' in the open ocean with at least fourteen 8-9' Caribbean reef sharks!

The dive operation is working on gathering and "taming" a group of hammerheads now...

Jellies! But not the delicious kind! 9/5

   Swarmed by a cloud of stinging jellyfish on tonight's dive... Hoping I will wake up with lips like Julia Roberts. #whenwilltheburningstop?

Roatan, 3 fantastic days in 9/2

   Great trip so far... Saw a nice big school of little squid yesterday, and a few more today--was able to get a video up close. A couple of large barracuda, one of which came close enough to make my heart pause for a second. Turtles, ocean triggerfish (much larger than I remembered), another adult spotted drum, garden eels, jawfish, nudibranch, trunkfish, lots of parrotfish and butterflyfish, a large gray angelfish, queen angels, trumpetfish, fairy basslets, snapper... And my best find to date: an octopus hiding in broad daylight. He was hunkered down in the seagrass shaped like an open umbrella. I saw the only thing moving: his gills. Then his eye.

   I was SO excited to show it to my dive buddy, Dan, who had saved my (very expensive) flashlight earlier on the dive. I was too low on air to dive down the 80' to retrieve it when it slipped right off my wrist. I felt lucky to be able to repay him, in a sense.

   Also excited because I was bummed to have not seen octopi on last night's 9:30 pm dive, or this morning's 4:45 am dive.

   Started my wreck diving certification today (mapping ships is HARD and requires strong on-land and in-water communication and teamwork!); also working on advanced open water. For that I've done a deep dive (it only has to be 61', but I went down to 90' today), a night dive, a wreck dive, a boat dive, and I think all I need to do is navigation Finished my night dive certification, which only requires two dives and an instructor signing. 

   It's like school but the studying is way more fun.

Roatan, 3 fantastic days in

   Great trip so far... Saw a nice big school of little squid yesterday, and a few more today--was able to get a video up close. A couple of large barracuda, one of which came close enough to make my heart pause for a second. Turtles, ocean triggerfish (much larger than I remembered), another adult spotted drum, garden eels, jawfish, nudibranch, trunkfish, lots of parrotfish and butterflyfish, a large gray angelfish, queen angels, trumpetfish, fairy basslets, snapper... And my best find to date: an octopus hiding in broad daylight. He was hunkered down in the seagrass shaped like an open umbrella. I saw the only thing moving: his gills. Then his eye.

   I was SO excited to show it to my dive buddy, Dan, who had saved my (very expensive) flashlight earlier on the dive. I was too low on air to dive down the 80' to retrieve it when it slipped right off my wrist. I felt lucky to be able to repay him, in a sense.

   Also excited because I was bummed to have not seen octopi on last night's 9:30 pm dive, or this morning's 4:45 am dive.

   Started my wreck diving certification today (mapping ships is HARD and requires strong on-land and in-water communication and teamwork!); also working on advanced open water. For that I've done a deep dive (it only has to be 61', but I went down to 90' today), a night dive, a wreck dive, a boat dive, and I think all I need to do is navigation Finished my night dive certification, which only requires two dives and an instructor signing. 

   It's like school but the studying is way more fun.

Let the cartoons begin! 9/2

   There's another cartoonist in the group! Guess which pogo-sticking manta I drew, & which Jonathan drew.

   Jonathan lives in Leavenworth and is a contractor for the army, taking photos and video (I never ever thought of that being a thing!) He'll be going to Korea soon.

   He plays a game with his artist friends: one will throw out a living thing, an adjective, and an activity. So I said, "manta ray, pogo-sticking, and... Joyful". And he said,"well obviously he'd be joyful!" So I said, "okay then--angry!"

   When he finished his drawing, I drew my version. My manta has ice cream. :)

Beautiful Roatan 9/1

   Gorgeous foliage and flowers everywhere. Our dive master, Curt, has lived here all his life and has only been to mainland Honduras a few times... And no where else in the world! Although I can't imagine staying put for so long, I am enjoying the tranquil beauty of the island. The staff leaves fresh hibiscus after cleaning our room each day. This IS the life!

Basilisk!!! 9/1

Spotted one of these guys next to the walkway this morning--a basilisk. Also known as a Jesus Christ lizard because they can spread their long toes & walk on water.

Annelid 9/2

Saw one of these on the top of the Prince Albert shipwreck last night, squirming and swirling in the darkness. It looked like a sea snake, without a head. None of us knew what it was. I just identified it as an annelid, a classification that contains earthworms and leeches. Now we're all cracking jokes about an annelid bursting out of someone's chest like an alien. ...great. Guess I won't be sleeping tonight!

Refreshing perspective 9/1

   I love the smell of salt water in the morning. And the afternoon. And the evening. Also, on the night dives. Fingers gonna be pruny all week! Wonder what Roatan looks like on land? :)

Roatan, day 1 8/31

   I could get used to this. How can I get paid to stay here and dive and screw around? Seriously. HELP.

   We arrived, wolfed down lunch, geared up and dived twice, showered, ate a huge, delicious dinner, and I'm about ready to crash from my scant 2 hours of sleep. Finally met Liesl from Juneau and she's awesome. The whole group seems to be... And there are around 60 of us!  Fun fun.

Missing me already 8/31

"Whatcha doin' with those suitcases?"
   Poor pets. I always pull my stuff together but wait til the last minute to pull them out because they all get so upset and sulky. Perhaps the one part of traveling that I really don't like. :(
   But I am...

   Although having had only 2 hours of sleep, rushing to the airport, and now trying not to panic that I'm going to miss my flight, I'm more in need of a nap than an adventure...

Roatan, Here I Come! 8/30

I hope the sharks are ready for Jen Week! 

   This photo is from the Chac Mool cenote, near Playa del Carmen, not Honduras. 'Cause... I haven't been to Honduras yet! But I won't  be able to say that anymore, in just a few hours...