Take Back the Night rally

Thursday night was the Take Back the Night rally in Blacksburg. This is a world wide organization which fights for the end to gender-based violence.
It started with music and speeches. I got up and spoke about RAD and my experiences. There were a lot more people there than I thought there would be so it was a little nerve wracking. The theatre filled and it contains 510 seats. All seats filled and people were standing around the edge. And the stairs getting to the stage were lethal!

Stage

Only some of the crowd - the hall completely filled and people were standing

VT President Sands

 There was music and speeches by VT groups.

Acapulco. 

The plan, after all the speeches, was to march around campus. However this is Blacksburg after all and the weather had other ideas. Most of us were ok with a little rain but it was pouring down. And then the lightning started. (Some of the banners had metal poles.) So they marched through Squires (the student centre) instead.

On the move

Take back the night

Ending the march

"Real life" CSI

I am currently doing the student police academy (they let me in even though I am not a student as I know the cops!). Last week was life as a police officer and terrorism. The terrorism one was really interesting as it was given by the head of the police department who used to be FBI. He was head of the Osama bin Laden task force. His first day was sept 11th 2001 (that is being dumped in at the deep end!) and he talked about the cases he had worked on. It was very cool to get an "insider" view.

This week was the CSI week. They set up a crime scene and in groups we have to photograph it, ask for evidence and basically solve the crime. Split over 2 nights, Monday was the gathering evidence. The group is split into 3 teams and there is a prize at the end of it for the best team. (I don't think we will be getting it as my team really didn't seem that into it. The others were talking about the crime scene and theories - mine just wanted the candy cane to drugged and then started talking about aliens and deadliest catch! A bit disappointing.)

We had one dead body, another stabbing victim in the hospital, a suspect (caught standing over the live victim wight he knife in his hand), and another girl missing! And a candy cane on the dead body. Very strange! (We already nicknamed him/her the Candy Cane Killer!)

Our victim and a mysterious candy cane.

Crime scene

Evidence 

Who left the bottle?

Someone forgot their shirt! 

Did they wipe down the prints? 

Looking puzzled.

The weapon!

Blood smears (that look a lot like chocolate)

After the crime scene we got to interview the suspect. (I don't think we were very good at it. We forgot to ask if he did it!)
Then we got a demonstration on blood spatter and finger printing. Most of this I knew from CSI etc but it was good to see in real life.

Our expert

low velocity blood drops.

Unfortunatly then my camera battery died. :-( But we did get to try to take finger prints. The powder really does get everywhere! And of course you have to scratch your nose as soon as it gets on your hands.
Mine didn't exactly turn out well. I thing I need more practice. Or I just don't have a thumb print. :-/

My thumb print???

Wednesday, we got our requested evidence back and tried to figure out who was the killer. No one got it right. Though that was mainly because the whole scenario turned out to be utterly unrealistic (way too CSI/Criminal minds to be real) and we were all trying to come up with realistic ideas.
The second night was a disappointment honestly.  It seemed like the whole thing hadn't really been thought out - evidence never accounted for etc. If thats what it's really like, it's not surprising so many of the criminals win! My group sucked. They didn't listen to each other and even though asked never put down a request for finger prints from the knife! I hope they never go into law enforcement!

Still the first night was interesting and it bets working at home (again!). Next week is drunk driving, K9, and zombie apocalypse. (I'm going to have to let you know what that is as I have no idea, other than the strange obvious.) 

Markets and music

It's been another dull few weeks with just lots of work. However I did go out to a house concert Friday night which was fun. Here are a few pictures from the night.

Ginger Lane community hall.

With audience.

And the Monkey house monkey in the background!

Saturday I went with Cait to the markets in Roanoke. But I was so busy buying tasty fun things I forgot to take any photos.  Oops! After she dropped me down South Main and I brought some new running shoes. (I have been putting it off as they are not cheap but it was time!) After that I hung around in coffee shops for a while before meeting a friend at the new Lebanese restaurant which opened a month ago. It was ok but not as good as I am used too. Still by Blacksburg standards, pretty damn good! Though we were both expecting a little more upscale (like with actual plates!). It was a fun day, topped off up a few glasses of wine at my favorite bar. 

Past few weeks

So the past weeks weeks have been pretty boring thanks to a LOT of work :-( accompanied with a significant lack on funds (thank you US taxes). I spent one weekend helping a friend move house and the others just trying to get through work I didn't manage to get to during the week and more job applications. The only thing I have done for fun is helping out at the RAD class occasionally. (Fight night is always fun!)

However it does seem like winter is coming to an end. (I am not holding my breathe as we have had snow in April before but still, there is hope.) It also brings out peoples lack of driving ability. (Honestly that is only thing I can think of to explain this! And even that is pushing it.)

Worse parking ever

 It was fun watching, from a restaurant, the number of people trying to turn into these spaces and then visibly cursing out the idiot taking up 4 spaces. I have seen someone taking up 2 but really! 4?!?!

I also found a packet of the most interesting flavored crisps (chips for the Americans) I have seen in a while. (Like I said it has been a dull few weeks, with not much than work in my life.) They were ok but I don't think I will be be buying more. (They taste a bit weird to start then ok, then after a while, a bit sickly!)

Truly American

Tonight I was feeling homesick (there's a lot going on a home right now and it is hard being away) so I made a curry. It takes time to do it properly with making the spice mix (and in Blacksburg actually finding the spices!) but was definitely worth it. The GF naan bread were ok and probably about as good as I am going to get so I was happy! Of course I then ate my weight in curry!

Butter chicken and GF naan

I start the student police academy on Monday where I will learn about police life, including SWAT and hopefully how to drive a police car. I also get to do CSI. :-) So hopefully I will have something interesting to do (other than work which does not qualify) over the next few weeks. 

Frozen Cascades

Over the weekend Cait and I decided to go to the Cascades, hoping the waterfall had frozen. Thankfully Sunday was a nice day and perfect for a walk/hike. 

I should point out I still had a nasty cold at this point so it may have not been the most sensible idea to go for a 4 mile hike in the snow. But you only live once! And it was probably going to be my last chance. And I was glad I did. It was really pretty.

The weather warmed up a bit on Sunday so the snow/ice was starting to melt but it was still really pretty and the snow was still deep! There are two trails up to the waterfall, the lower (difficult) trail and (easier) upper trail. We decided it was crazy to try the harder one as it is tricky enough and slippery enough when you can see the trail. (That was where I managed to badly strain my ankle the last time I was here.)

creek.

Bridge to the lower trail.

As you can see the trail was more of an indentation in the snow. We were glad other people had been out before us.

Cait on the trail

Just before the half way point, someone had made the creepiest snowman I have ever seen!

Creepy!

For all of the trail, I was far behind Cait. She is way fitter than me and I was sick too! But it was really peaceful out there so neither of us minded.

Hiking into the distance.

I was completely exhausted (and questioning my sanity) by the time we got near the falls. But it was worth it.

First frozen falls.

Lots of icicles.

Part of the cascades

Frozen Cascades

Cait at the Cascades

We sat and had a little picnic (my first in the snow) but got chilling quickly. So after some photos, headed back. Which started with a climb up snow and ice covered stairs. (I will admit to muttering "This is not a good idea!" many times.)

Climbing the stairs.

Some bits were quite steep and it was only when I looked back at the photos I realized how close we were to a snow covered shear drop. I have no idea where the edge of the trail is!

Dicing with death!

I didn't take many photos on the way down. As it warmed up, the path got very slushy and super slippery! We ended up going off the path (away from the shear drop side of course) and hiking it though the snow. It was an adventure. You never know if you were going in up to your ankle or knee! :-)
And I managed not to end up on my butt. Though it was a close call a number of times and I did do some impressive gymnastic moves to stay on my feet (at least I thought so!).
The melting of the snow was most apparent on the snowman on the way down. Not sure if he looks more or less creepy. He had a voodoo shrunken head thing going on.

Still creepy.

We were both very happy to be back at the parking lot. However Cait's car is a Prius. Not known for its ability in snow and ice. And we got stuck trying to get out! :-( However 2 very sweet college kids helped us and pushed the car back onto the track. I have no idea how long it would have taken us otherwise to dig it out. We were super lucky! Then Cait had to reverse the car all the way back to the road (including the wrong way down a one way road) but seriously it was the only way. 

I am very glad I went. Even though it has been 2 days since and my legs still ache!