7 Days, 82 Miles, 1 Great Time!

So, I am back from Paddle GA. This year we paddled/ raised money for the Broad & Savannah Rivers. It was a another great trip! Jeremy and I exceeded our fundraising goal raising $1020.00, and came in 7th place for most funds raised! I cannot tell you how excited we were to reach our goal & how appreciative the organization is for the help. It really makes you feel like you are helping to make a difference & and it doesn't get much better than that.

Visit the Ga river network blog to get a detailed break-down of the day-by-day on the trip:
http://garivernetwork.wordpress.com/

and for my un-editied pics:
http://mymultigrainlife.shutterfly.com/
( Password: shortboat )


Now, I am feeling a little bit shell shocked back in the real world & at work, Ugh! I miss my paddle herd (this is what we call the group we mainly paddle with on the trip).  I go through this shell shock feeling every year... if Paddle Ga were a drug, I would be having serious withdraws right now. Oh!-- and I think Jeremy is officially a river rat for life!

Ya- Ya!

Refreshingly Cold River Water!

I am completely exhausted from this past weekend! It was way to much fun, packed with Taco Mac Beers, REI Scratch & Dent sale, 80"s costume/B-day Party, and Kayaking on the Upper Hooch.... way, way to tiring! Needless to say, my lunch hour today was spent in my office with the lights out--passed out on my desk. Ahhh, what a refreshing lunch break ;)

The 80's party was great! I love any chance to dress up and be a goof ball!

But... I think kayaking wore me out the most, especially after an already packed weekend. I can never pass up a trip down the river though! 

Yesterday the average temp was a whooping 95 degrees with a heat index of 100-- and humid. It was the kinda hot that made you sweat when you were even sitting still, even in the shade, Yuck! So, nothing feels better on those scorching hot days than a dip in cold river water. I took a few that day, however, one was unintentional--- this was the first time I have ever tipped my boat over/feel out. I am sure it won't be the last, and it wasssss about time it happened to me. Falling out in rushing river water did shake me up a'lil bit, but I wasn't hurt-- so Jeremy emptied out my somewhat sunk and water logged kayak- I made a stupid joke- and the group started back down the river. The saying, "when you fall off the horse, you have to dust yourself off, and get back on again" comes to mind....

Now, with my first river trip of the year (& Kayak tipping) over... I am super amped up for Paddle GA 2010! Let the Froogle packing begin -- 40 LBs or less of luggage required & w/ 4 days and counting left! Ya Ya!

Fundraising

Man-o-man, Fundraising is tough!

I have been tying to fundraise for the last few months for my Paddle GA Canoe-a-thon trip with the GA River Network, and don't really seem to be getting anywhere.....
that is until this week. Now, the donations seem to be rolling in more and more. However, I don't think Jeremy and I will be meeting our goal this year of $1000-- which totally bums me out! Last year fundraising seemed easy, maybe b/c it was the first time raising money for the event-- I don't know.

I can say that, struggling to fundraise this year also gives me a greater appreciation of those who fundraise for a living. Meeting this goal gives me so much anxiety-- I cannot imagine having to reach a goal in order to support my pay check. YIKES! I mention this because my sister and Brother- in -law have been fundraising for a living/job for much of their working life. Heather & Brain- I commend you!

Meanwhile, I am completely excited for the paddle trip! wooo-hooo!!! I spend an entire year (from the day the trip is over) looking forward to the next year. I am bummed my my paddle buddy and one of my best friends, Colleen, won't be able to come on the trip this year : ( Luckily, Jeremy is joining the adventure this year! I cant wait for him to experience this life changing event, and hopefully, he'll be committed to the river rat life after the trip-- just as i was after my first time on the trip w/ colleen -  3 yrs ago.

First day/First yr. on Paddle GA 2008,

Flint River w/ Colleen

love this poster!

How I spend my days off

Home owning has so many rewards-- 1. not having to rent from a bit**y landlord anymore  & 2. not throwing money away each month on rent. But.... I am quickly learning that there always seems to be a "to-do-list" for the weekends. I take pride in my new/first house & love doing things around the house, so that it looks great. Man-o-man, sometimes I just wish I had a house keeper, landscaper, chef, dog trainer, etc. maybe throw in a personal masseuse to that list too.

I had a few days off last week for Furlough days and decided I was over the all the white walls with white trim in the new place.  My house is craftsman style-- and I wanted to keep authentic to the design eras colors. Soooo excited to be able to paint my own place (and not have to paint it back at the end of a lease), I got started! I chose a color called Sweet Tea for the Island wall and Morris Room Gray for the kitchen walls. The finished product looks great and I am super proud with the result. Painting is exhausting though! If I had not had the help of my mom, I don't know what I would have done. Thanks Mom! Now the only thing is.... the rest of the rooms need some color or accent to catch up to my faboulous kitchen!

Before

After

I also decided, while I was letting coats of paint dry, that I would refinish the rocking chair and table at the front door. & Man! did they need it. I first sanded down the rocking chair-- with a gaint electric sander (that made my hands and body feel like they were tingling for a good 30 mins after I was finished).and then spray painted both a semi-gloss black-- just what they needed!

Before

After

Now, I am sending the HOA a letter asking to change the front door color to a rusty red (similar to the color I chose for my kitchen island) so that it has a pop of color and accents the brick. I am also asking for permission to plant a dog wood tree in the front yard to give a little more curb appeal. Fingers Crossed --- they will approve!

Blogging...Giving this a try.

Hello blogging world-

I am giving the whole blogging thing a shot. Mainly, to keep those closest to me up-to-date on everything. B/C God knows I am not very good at picking up the phone to "chat".

If you are wondering about the title of the blog page-- well I was very creative with this one-- not. Actually, I have a can of multi grain Pringles sitting next to me, and thought "sounds good! " Recently, I have also had a lot of variuos changes in my life. Including the purchase of a new home with my boyfriend -Jeremy, the addition of a puppy-Sakura, and not to mention all the responsiblity that comes with both of these endevors. This blog will basicly be about the "multi-grains" of my life as a homeowner, girlfriend, pet owner, etc.

Hopefully my life will have enough interesting things going on to keep a blog going :)