Look Up. Stay Safe!

This is a warning message for all my readers.

I learned of a terrible threat to tourist safety in Australia yesterday (Australia Day).  DROP BEARS!!

These vicious beasts hide up in trees and wait for innocent campers to set up camp below one of their branches.  They lull them into a false sense of security be remaining quiet and biding their time.  THEN THEY STRIKE!

They launch themselves off the tree branch and land on the unsuspecting campers.  If the crushing blow is not enough to kill you, the drop bears proceed to claw off yo face.

Don't get these beasts confused with koalas (they look very similar)...THEY ARE DANGEROUS AND BLOODTHIRSTY! NOT CUTE, CUDDLY MARSUPIALS!!!!!

So remember, while in Australia, LOOK UP. AND STAY SAFE!!

I'm so excited I could EXPLODE rainbows!!!!!

Yes, that's right.  I said I was probably going to explode rainbows.  What a way to die, huh.  At least I'd go out with a bang. (so cliche it's not even funny)  BUT LITERALLY A BANG!  and instead of blood and guts and brains going every where it would be rainbows, confetti, probably some glitter....actually definitely glitter!!

Compared to the things I'm usually dying from this seems pretty awesome.  Usually I'm forced to suffer slow, painful injuries that will probably result in my impending demise.

BUT you probably want to know why exactly I'm so excited.  Well, for those of you who know my weird obsessions, you know that I basically am a Ghost Hunters (TV show on Sci-Fi) addict.  I watch the marathons every Wednesday, and when I don't have TV I record it at home and catch up on breaks.

Anyway, it is my dream to be a ghost hunter.  I want to scientifically evaluate whether there is any sort of life after death.  I find it comforting, and I'm kinda a science nerd.

Tonight I'm going on a ghost tour of the EDINBURGH UNDERGROUND!!!!!!  (totally geeking out right now)  And every person gets to hold their own emf meter.  For those of you who don't know what it is, an emf meter detects fluctuations in electromagnetic fields.  Due to technology--electrical wiring, plumbing, etc--electromagnetic fields permeate our world.  But sometimes there are unexplained fluctuations in these fields.  One theory is that "ghosts" can manipulate these fields as a means of manifesting themselves.  EM fluctuations are often thought to indicate paranormal activity.

So not only do I get to explore a whole new part of the city and get to hear creepy ghost stories, I could potentially have my very own personal experience.  aka A DREAM COME TRUE!

Hopefully I can contain my excitement and not explode until after the tour!

Also I hope that I don't freak out in the tunnels.  As much as I dream to be a ghost hunter I also know that I'm paranoid, jumpy, and have an active imagination.  Time to steel my nerves to live the dream!

Is that the fire alarm...?

Don't worry the building I'm in is not currently on fire or anything like that. *knock on wood*

But I do hear a ringing.  It's coming from my own ear.  TINNITUS!!! dum dum dum


Apparently you can experience for up to three months or sometimes forever!  Definitely not good.


You may be wondering how I wound up in this predicament.  The thing is, I'm not actually sure.  I mean I know it must have been caused by the music in the club we went to, but I was in the middle of a dance floor, not standing somewhere with my ear pressed against a speaker.


I do take comfort in the fact I'm not the only one to have it.  but I am the only one to still have it this morning, so maybe not so comforting?


All I know is this morning when I woke up I thought a fire alarm was going off and started rushing to put on shoes to escape a fiery death.  This could be a problem.  I feel like my ear is the little boy who cried wolf.  And we all know how well that ended.

Don't Make A Mole Hill Out of a Mountain

So remember that mountain I was complaining about?  (Click!)

Now THAT I FREAKING LOVE MOUNTAINS! (And Click Again) (Karma, you better be paying attention!)  I've decided there is one redeeming quality to the mountain.  The view from the top.

I think these pictures will show you why.

So maybe lesson learned?  Don't make a mountain out of a mole hill?

BUT

I think a more applicable expression would be don't make a mole hill out of a mountain.

regardless of my um... new found fondness...yeah for mountains it is still an ACTUAL MOUNTAIN and not in fact a mole hill.

Speaking of Mountains...

I just thought I'd update everyone on my walking related injuries....there will probably be many because I basically fulfill the "Lazy American" stereotype.

But I now have the largest blister I've ever seen on the bottom/side of my foot.  Yes, that's right it wraps around my foot.  I did not know that a blister could do that, but I guess there's a first time for everything.

It is basically a mountain on my foot.  It's probably karma from yesterdays post discouraging people to climb mountains.


You know what karma, I FREAKING LOVE MOUNTAINS!!  You happy?

(Don't) Climb Every Mountain

I love the movie The Sound of Music as much as the next person, but the advice to "Climb every mountain," not so much.

Before I thought of the song more figuratively.  The idea of achieving your dreams and what not.  Today I thought about it in the literal sense for the first time, and there is no going back.

This was brought on by my mad sprint across the King's Buildings (which are very confusing) to try and find the Royal Observatory (sounds cool, right?)  I get to the road google maps told me the observatory was on and all I see is a basically vertical slope of mountain in front of me.  It was at that moment I knew I was doomed.

But I continued my accelerated pace for about the first fourteen steps.  Then it became really icy (apparently they don't believe in salt/sand for the sidewalks in Scotland).  After nearly falling and rolling right back down the mountain (although there wasn't too far to go because I hadn't made too much progress) I had to slow down.  Then my calves felt like they were bowing outward and they were just going to snap off.

I finally made it to the top of the mountain (10 minutes late for a 50 min class...ugh) and I go to the Visitor's Center to check in and find out where I was supposed to go...AND it was another walk about a smaller hill that was equally as steep.

I didn't walk into class.  I stumbled in.  Sweaty, disheveled, and beyond out of breath.

I walked as quickly as possible (which was about a snail's pace at this point) and sat in the back.  Well, I didn't really sit, I more like slumped and tried not to wheeze too loudly.

I get to do this twice a week.  It was either make me really in shape or kill me off.  Probably the latter.

SO my personal advice to those who are out of shape: DON'T CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN.  DON'T CLIMB ANY MOUNTAIN.

Disclaimer:  I am not trying to turn people away from accomplishing their dreams in this post.  I mean this in the literal sense.  Figuratively do whatever you want.