A couple weeks ago I was in Portland making things with friends.  In particular we made soap.  Sadly, not the type Tyler Durden makes while prepping for awesome ninja adventures, but still, it was pretty amazing.
Soap, like fire, is one of the basic things that keeps us healthy happy humans.  It also happens to be something I’ve never made.  Liz has though, and so she, Aaron, and I spent Saturday morning making soap, and it was Awesome! 
Here is a photo journal of the process,
 Selecting ingredients and getting ready:

Basically it’s pretty …

I stepped off the edge.  My mind accelerated into my body as together we slammed into the moment of ‘now’ with the intensity of fear and love, and the excitement of doing something the body was not designed for, but that the spirit craves from the deepness of the soul.
 The force of the collision pushed a shriek out of my lungs, and yet, when that shriek was finished I was still flying through the air, accelerating downward and outward, and so I quickly filled my lungs and let loose another.  …

Bumping around the land of my childhood with two of my best friends over the last week and a half was amazing!  We spent the 4th of July in Ashland, which is always a good time.  I went to my 10 year high school reunion, which actually deserves its own post for all the awesomeness it was!  We then headed into the Russian Wilderness in N Cali, and spent 4 days alone together next to a mountain lake soaking up the peaceful beauty of the natural world.  We watched eagles, …

Public speaking can be scary!  We had over 1350 attendees for Ignite Boulder 11, and speaking in front of that many people is a trip!  Watching the video of my presentation, barely a trace of nervousness shows through. I felt happy, and full of goofy fun and confidence. 
I had just spent the day teaching Swiftwater Rescue to Sheriff Deputies with Boulder Emergency Squad, and was already buzzing from that.  By the time I got on stage I was absolutely bouncing with energy.  Part of this comes from being the focus …

Standing in the middle of the silent highway I watched the moon, slowly appear over the horizon only to vanish again into the cloudy sky.  Big, full, vivacious, and yet so easily hidden behind the mists of the evening.  Birds sang.  Something rustled in the grasses.  Far away emergency lights flashed silently.  Someone had died there an hour before.  Someone else had died over that hill 2 days before.  And another over that hill, and another beyond that mountain, and another in that lake, and another in that car.  So much death …