I'm 50...I Like to Kick and Stretch...and Kick

Ok Gentle Readers, my fiftieth Birthday came and went pretty quickly.  As a wonderful surprise Rusty and Yosiell arranged a trip to Guerneville, and a Sonoma Canopy Zip Line tour.  Best present ever!  We spent several hours Zip lining from redwood to redwood in Sonoma on a very warm summer day.

For those who have never been Zip Lining, it is now on my highly recommend list.  There is nothing like the feeling of stepping off a platform and whisking down a line.  Terrifying and amazing at the same time.

Our awesome Zip Lining Group! The guides were terrific, although both of the young women together couldn't have weighed more than 90 lbs. soaking wet.  There were times I thought one of us would knock these petite guides to the forest floor when we came in too fast, but they were professional and did a great job.  

Practicing my mad Zip lining skills.  

Sassy!

Matt enjoying the harness a little too much. 

Matt and Tyler, ready for the real test. 

Yosiell headed toward the platform. 

A really long line.  No worries friends, I made it all the way across without screaming too much.  

Happiest Birthday ever!

A trio of excitement. 

Tyler repelling down from the trees.  Really the scariest part.  

Matt showing off his intense skills.  

Awkward rope positioning.  

And a less than graceful landing. 

We were never really in danger. The guides ensure you are hooked up to a safety line at all times, but still the adventure felt somewhat risky.  Stepping off that final platform to repell to the platform was the scariest part but was also the most fun.

After this exciting adventure, we all sat around tossing back a few bourbons and recounting our own bravery like warriors after a battle...OK, that is definitely overstating...but fun none the less recounting the day.  Thanks to all who were there, including Jaimie, who joined us in Guerneville to swoon at our manliness.  

Stepping off a platform into the great unknown is kinda how I've been feeling lately.  Recently, I changed jobs.  No longer am I a principal responsible for a site.  I'm now a district office employee.  Sadly, another step removed from working directly with students, but definitely a job filled with new challenges.  

I'm experiencing a very steep learning curve in this position but I'm excited about the work.  The first day of school was a little difficult for me as I wasn't opening a site, but I managed to get to several sites to support principals and really enjoyed seeing the excited faces of kids starting school.  My new title is Director of Assessment, Accountability, and Educational Technology for Dublin, USD.  New adventures require a leap of faith off a platform 100 ft. in the air, but I look forward to being part of creating something pretty awesome for all the kids in Dublin schools.  

Well friends, I leave you with a final short video in celebration of my first half century.  Enjoy!