Last IDC Days: 9 and 10

Well, the IDC is over, and now it is all about some last minute cramming and avoiding that cold that is going around:
Extra Skills Afternoon: Thursday we watched the Pro Rescue Video, and practiced absolutely gorgeous demonstration-quality skills in the pool. I had to sneak out of work 5 hours early to attend, but felt so much more confident about my skill demo afterwards.
Day Nine was mostly in the pool again, this time presenting our last Confined Water skill (Rescue Class) and practicing our Rescues to within an inch of it's life. Day Ten had our last Perscriptive teaching presentations, and the remainder of the classroom work. We also sat for a few final exams. I was proud to bring my scores up from where they had started, but: Constant Vigilance!
Bob counseled me that he thought I was ready and would do well, and furthermore, he was happy that he dogged me for so many missed IDC's until I could actually take this one. I'm happy I got to take what he threatens to be his last IDC for awhile!
Now it is all just down to the Instructor Exam on Wednesday and Thursday...

IDC Days 7 and 8: Unprecedented Disaster!

Threw up.
Underwater.
Twice.

Yup: Seasick both on the surface and underwater. Light surge, but basically calm seas in the most calm of bays. Dehydration, lack of sleep, lack of taking care of myself is the explanation. Struggled through the swim, the Confined Water exercises, and the Open Water exercises, always a step behind.
Second day was better: Wasn't ill at least. Classroom work. My first prescribed teaching presentation went well. My theory tests are still not up to snuff.
Ah well, it is a learning experience, right?

IDC Days 5 and 6: Assistant Instructor!

I passed the General Practices Exam and am now officially a PADI Assistant Instructor! (So even if I flunk the Instructor's Exam, I still upped my rank from Divemaster!)
We did more Confined and Open Water presentations. It was cloudy this weekend, which was a blessing on my burny skin, but made us all cold. Solution? Briefings and Debriefings in the Hot Tub, of course! Oh it was difficult to be us!
I continue to do okay, but did miserably on my practice Physics test (again. 2nd Time, no improvement). Seems I will be re-learning Physics this week!

IDC Days 3 and 4

Well! The IDC progresses, this week with classroom presentations (scary!) and the beginning of some water work. We practiced our scuba skills to a "demonstration" level: Slow and easy and beautiful like a dance! We also presented our first "Confined Water" teaching presentations: Briefing, Demonstration, Problem-solving, and debriefing one particular skill.
The problem solving is the most fun, and the most nerve-rattling! Course Director Bob gives your "students" each a problem they need to have. You must catch the problem, teach the solution, and communicate effectively. It is rather fun, if I wasn't so scared that I will miss the problems during the Exam!
I did well on the Knowledge Review Classroom presentations: It seems to be all about jumping through the hoops and learning the system.

You are The Sun

Happiness, Content, Joy.

The meanings for the Sun are fairly simple and consistent.

Young, healthy, new, fresh. The brain is working, things that were muddled come clear, everything falls into place, and everything seems to go your way.

The Sun is ruled by the Sun, of course. This is the light that comes after the long dark night, Apollo to the Moon's Diana. A positive card, it promises you your day in the sun. Glory, gain, triumph, pleasure, truth, success. As the moon symbolized inspiration from the unconscious, from dreams, this card symbolizes discoveries made fully consciousness and wide awake. You have an understanding and enjoyment of science and math, beautifully constructed music, carefully reasoned philosophy. It is a card of intellect, clarity of mind, and feelings of youthful energy.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

IDC Days one and two

This weekend I began the first two days of the PADI Instructor Development Course, in order to hopefully pass the two-day Instructor Exam in December, and be certified to teach Scuba Diving!
I'm taking the class with the immensely talented Course Director Bob Hajack, at Breeze Hawaii here in Kona.
So far I feel unprepared, inexperienced, and lacking in time and money. I hope that changes soon!

Tagged with a MEME

I've been tagged by Stilaholic Nartian Knits and since it's not really knitting it gets to be on this blog:
Four Jobs I've Had:
Dancer
Pastry Chef
Follow-Spot Opperator
Carrot Juice Squeezer
(I would add the current job: Nut Jockey, But I fear people just wouldn't understand.)
Four Movies I Can Watch Over and Over:
Casablanca
Detroit Rock City
The English Patient (Although this takes some time)
Harry Potter (any of them)
Four Places I Have Lived:
Paris France (briefly. Still counts?)
Santa Cruz California
Cairo Egypt
Durham North Carolina
Four Television Shows I Love to Watch:
Project Runway
Alias (No more!)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (what?)
Firefly (on DVD only now)
Four Places I Have Been on Vacation:
Morrocco
Palau
Cozumel
Sinai
Four of My Favorite Dishes:
Seared Ahi or Ahi Shashimi
Pasta (Amatriciana, Carbonara, Mom's Spaghetti, Kraft Mac&Cheese...)
Ice Cream (pretty much all of it)
Huge Caesar salads
Four Websites I Visit (Almost) Daily:
New York Times
Yarn Harlot
Online Sudoku
Blogger, of course
Four Places I Would Rather Be Right Now:
Under the Sea
In a cafe in Paris, preferably knitting
Almost anywhere but here at Work
In the arms of my BF
Four Bloggers I am Tagging:
Adrastas
John
Gee...I don't know!

Earthquake!!!!

Hawai'i earthquake, right near where I live. 6.7! And plenty of aftershocks! This is what my house looks like after the Earthquake that hit today (okay, we stacked those 3 boxes on the right while searching for the cat). Shelves empty, all glass broken, drawers open, pictures off the wall, cracks in the plaster, door doesn't shut right, and cat headin' for the hills! No electricity, gas shut off, no water...no cable TV but since my television did a faceplant onto my wood floor, it's not like I can notice. Outside it is even stranger: Several cracks across roads and bridges, huge landslides and boulders in the roads, broken water mains flooding the streets. All the streetlights are out (Drive with Aloha people! And an out streetlight means a four-way stop!) but since there are only 3 streetlights in town, we are doing okay.
My mother and I went through the 1989 earthquake in Northern California, so we are jaded Californians about it. When the shaking started, we knew instantly what it was, and for the first few seconds it is a bit of a fun ride. Then the knowledge kicks in, and in our heads we go through the following thought process: "Earthquake! This is fun!...Wait, this is strong! Wait, this is going on too long! Okay, fine, I'll get up and head away from the windows...Hmmm...About a 6, maybe 7..." Funny how I didn't notice things falling. I moved away from the walls and windows, and I watched the walls shake. I guess the structure was more of a worry than the falling items. Immediately afterwards, I went outside, of course. Checked on the neighbors, all whom were looking for pets. The first aftershock came while I was outside, the ground surging in P-waves, like dirt surfing, under my feet.
Ironically, my big strong father is taking it the worst. He was away during the 89 earthquake, and maintains this was the worst earthquake he has felt in his life: Stronger than any in California or Japan. My mother and I set to work cleaning up the glass, but since we have moved alot, been through earthquakes, and, well, we are both pretty clumsy, we had experience in briefly mourning and throwing out the broken shards of favorite things. These items are just possesions. They are with you for awhile and then they break and you move onwards.
What is more important is the blessing of everyone's safety, and family and friends are fine. Utilities are back on, our service-people in safety and utilities sprang to work, and I hear we are under a state of emergency. The beauty of it is how everyone pulls together, sits outside, waves at cars, calls all their friends to make sure everyone is okay. Thank you to everyone who called, emailed, texted, and checked or commented on this site! What aloha!

The Esquire

My friend says goodbye to a beloved watering hole here. Beautiful post. Please check it out.

Happy Anniversary: Kama'aina

It is my 4th Anniversary of living in Hawaii. I have been thinking alot about what that means, and thankful for all I have here. As someone who lived many places, I never had a "hometown", and I adopted Hawaii as home because it always existed in my parents heads as "home" and I saw how happy they were on the occasions we were here visiting relatives.
I have a friend here who says that whatever you ask of the island, she will provide. Not in terms of plenty, but in terms of need. Something about paring down that need appeals to me: It's like traveling, where you limit yourself to the contents of your bag, and you are freed in that sparsity. When I moved here, I asked for a clear head, peace, a path, and some diving. The island has provided most of that.
I don't think I can stay here. I don't think I can afford to live here very long: There is not much economic future, and I will never be able to afford a house. And dearest BF, who hates it here, has his sights on a colder, rainier isle that pulls at his heart like home. And that is one thing we can't ask this beautiful, fiery isle to do: We can't ask her to be anything but herself.