this is jesse
Jesse Olson
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A Not So Brief History
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 Spokane, WA 1977 Sacred Heart Hospital staff has honor of being first people ever to see my handsome visage.
  First time I saw Star Wars.
  I like playing naked in the flower garden.
Hillsboro, OR 1979 Huh?
Tigard, OR 1981 I attend preschool with my cousin Rachel. We run around in the woods, and throw dirt clods.
Vancouver, WA 1982 First day of school ever - got lost on bus ride home :(
Older friend Jason in other half of duplex plays legos with me.
Learned how to ride a bike - LOVE bananna seats!
Second time I saw Star Wars - first viewing I remember.
Saw Swiss Family Robinson in Theater
Play in tide pools at the beach with my cousin Rachel
Dad and I are playing with Water Rockets!
Dad brings home Lego sets, and I become a Lego addict.
Learn that laying television cable is not a glamorous job
Spokane, WA 1983 Move back to Spokane and live with my dad's parents.
My grandparents took me on many camping trips in their motorhome. Lots of fun times - thanks guys!
Dad and I start playing with model rockets.
We send one of them successfully into orbit! (sounds better than "lost it")
Playing in the garden with mud and water is still REALLY fun!
I got knocked out on the playground in school - Mom gets freaked out.
I love you Mom!
I make my first snowman!
1984 First real exposure to the joys of sledding, and sled jumping!
July 3rd, Arielle, the most wonderful person in the world is born. I'm lucky enough to be her brother!
Boise, ID We move to Boise, ID
I see Ghostbusters for the first time!
I'm Venkman for Halloween
I get in a fight because some punk insults my costume. I remember that I won - I hope. ;)
Glendive, MT We move to Glendive, MT
It's REALLY cold.
1985 I have sugar free cake for my 8th. birthday - Not a fan.
Leavenworth, WA We move to Leavenworth for the first time.
I came home one night to a brand new BMX dirtbike!
Redmond, WA We move to Redmond, WA
I spend most of my freetime playing in the woods behind our house.
I learned to say the alphabet backwords based on a bet from my 3rd grade teacher, Mrs Beach. I loved her.
1986 It snowed more in Redmond than it had in several years, school was closed for almost a week. Wohooo!
I met my first pseudo-love - Anna. She was the reason I was sad to leave.
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 Leavenworth, WA We move to Leavenworth for the second time.
The sledding is AWESOME!
  I learn to ski and start a life-long addiction
  Mom convinces me to join summer swim team and I stick with it until college.
  Mom convinces me to join soccer, and I stick with it until 7th grade.
  Mom convinces me to join Boy Scouts, and I stick with it until my 18th birthday
  Thanks Mom
  Our amazing boy scout troop inspires my passion for the outdoors.
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 Denver, CO 1991 We move to Denver much to everyone's dismay
I occupy myself in the summer by making a lot of paper airplanes, and writing computer programs with my father.
I also continue with swim team in Denver. I make good friends, and stay really fit. Tough coaches!
We get a taste for really good black bean soup with cilantro and jalapenos at ? restaurant.
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 Leavenworth, WA Just in time for my freshman year of HS, we move back to Leavenworth for the third time. Arielle and I are VERY happy about it.
1993 I join Drama in HS, and I find much needed confidence. Thank you Tracy
 
1994 I meet my first girlfriend through Drama. It starts beautifully and ends tragically - figures. ;)
My scout troop takes it's most adventerous trip to date - sailing in the inland passages on the BC coast for several weeks. We are sailing in home-made canoe-catamaran conversions.
During the sailing trip, forest fires surround Leavenworth. Our scoutmaster's wife sends the Canadian coast guard after us and we cut the trip short. ;(
Senior year of HS, I also attend college courses via the Running Start program.
1995 In June, I graduate from Cascade High.
My best friend, Aaron goes to New Zealand for a year.
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 Socorro, NM I go to New Mexico Tech in Socorro, NM.
Aaron had a lot of fun.
He asked me to go with.
During my freshman year at college, I realize that Astrophysics is not for me, so I downgrade to straight Physics.
I should have gone with Aaron.
I did meet some great people freshman year, like my friends Andy and August, who I chummed with throughout college.
I also met Spud, who got me into mountain biking, building climbing, tunnel crawling.
1996 My grandparents gave me a chevy station wagon and my mother drove it down to pick me up from college. On the way back we drove to the Canyonlands. I fell in love, and I keep going back. Thank you Grandma, Grandpa, and Mom.
Leavenworth, WA Back in Leavenworth I worked for Northwest Outdoor Persuits, as a film courier, salesman, and photographer. Fun.
I also work in some gallery called the [Lame] Duck. Ugh.
Socorro, NM Sophmore year at college I meet [dove] - A great learning experience... ;)
Edgewood, NM 1997 Summer after sophmore year, I work at Los Alamos Laboratory through a student program as a programmer and web designer.
I live with [dove]'s and her parents that summer. Built a rock-climbing wall in their barn - FUN.
Socorro, NM 1998 Junior year at college, Andrew, Ginna and I go to his property in Ouray, Co for spring break. My intro to Colorado mountians -WOW.
Whitefish, MT Summer after Junior year, I work for my Aunt Eileen in Whitefish MT. I dug many holes, planted many trees, moved many rocks, and ate a LOT.
Socorro, NM 1999 Senior year at college, we successfully jacked the highly guarded Science Olympiad Sign.
Whitefish, MT Summer after senior year, I worked half the summer for Eileen again - digging more holes.
Lopez, WA The other half of the summer, I helped my pseudo uncle, Craig (Rachel's Father), build his blacksmithing shop on Lopez Island, WA. Best job ever.
Socorro, NM Fall of 1999, I finished my college courses.
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 Leavenworth, WA In December, I went back to Leavenworth. College had left me disenchanted and I had no idea where I wanted to go with life. It was a bit of a dark winter...
I worked for the Priviate Industry Council in Wenatchee, WA as a web designer.
I also worked for Stevens Pass Ski Area as a lift operator.
Car 2000 In spring, I drove back to NM to participate in my graduation ceremony.
After graduation, I spend 2-3 weeks with Ginna touring the southwest. Rockies, Bryce, Zion, J-Tree, San Diego.
Los Lunas, NM I spent a few weeks helping my friend Jenny's father make a foundation for his shed.
Los Alamos, NM In the fall I got hired by Ginna's father in Los Alamos Laboratory as a web designer.
In the winter, I met Roswitha. She turned out to be my girlfriend for two years, and an amazing force in my life. Thank you.
2001 During the winter of 2000/2001, I volunteered for the Pajarito Mountian Ski Patrol in Los Alamos. My skiing got MUCH better!

In the Summer of 2001, I quit my job at LANL, and went to Europe for the first time with my friends Ginna and Jenny from college.

 
Europe The first visit to Europe was amazing! We Bicycled in Switzerland, checked out Pompeii and Capri in italy, toured a few greek islands, and finished up in Vienna, where Roswitha lives.
Los Alamos, NM After coming back from Europe, I was broke and bored. I decided to work a bit of post-fire construction in Los Alamos. I did that for a few months before being hired on as a contractor to LANL again.
Soon after coming back from Europe, Roswitha lived in Los Alamos for 3 months. We did a lot of great roadtrips during this time, including a visit to Leavenworth.
Leavenworth, WA In November, I went to Leavenworth again to live with my family one last time before my sister graduated high school.
In December, I went to Vienna for a week to visit Roswitha.
2002 I worked again for the Private Industry Council in Wenatchee as a JSP web-programmer.
Vienna, Austria In July, I moved to Vienna for 3 months.
Despite some rockyness with Roswitha, the summer was amazing. This time I visited Prague, Turkey, and Spain.
Los Alamos, NM After Vienna I moved to Los Alamos again and worked for LANL as a contractor for over 1.5 years.
2003 Living in Los Alamos again was great. I really started learning how to dance salsa.
Through the Los Alamos Salsa Club I met a lot of great friends, including my next girlfriend, Erika.
Erika and I and other friends from salsa had a fantastic summer with climbing and backpacking trips.
Over the July 4th weekend, Erika, Marla, Guido and I hiked 20 miles of West Clear Creek in Arizona. This is one of the most amazing trips I've ever done. It comes HIGHLY recommended.
Unfortunately Erika left for New Haven, CT end of August.
I visited her in Oct for a month, then broke up :(
2004 I put the chevy cavalier to rest, and flew up to ND to visit my mom, and buy a Subaru Forester.
I drove the Forester back from ND to NM, trying to ski as much as I could along the way.
I experienced Grand Targhee for the first time and fell in love.
This winter I started learning to Telemark Ski - I'm hooked. Powder in Tele is unbelievable!
Erika and Sam from New Haven and I met up in Salt Lake in March for a week of amazing skiing. Utah Skiing RULES!
Soon after this, Erika and I got back together.
In June, I quit LANL Aaaaaagain
In July, I did an amazing backpacking trip near Molas Pass in CO. WOW. This is another of my favorite trips of all time.
Directly afterwards, Erik and I drove my car to move me to New Haven.
New Haven, CT In New Haven, I had a great time Mountain Biking and dancing Salsa. I even taught a couple informal lessons for some Yale grad students. Much thanks to my good friends Doug and Praveen.
This summer I went to Europe for the 5th time to visit Roswitha and her baby in Vienna, and my friends Guido, Marla, and Markus in Sweden.
Soon after I came back from Europe, my relationship with Erika fell apart.
Santa Fe, NM I moved back to NM to decompress, be with friends, and decide my near future. Huge thanks to Adri, Ray, Carmelita, Kush and Carl!
During this time, at a halloween party, I met Marie.
Marie blew my mind and broke my heart in two weeks.
I decided to live in Santa Fe for the winter.
I got a job as a Ski-Tech at Alpine Sports.
2005 I met some great new people in SF - thanks Mark, Lisa, JR, Adesh.
I got huge into Salsa dancing again.
Kush and I got seriously addicted to house dancing with DJ Philli (R.I.P. Bar B). I LOVE YOU MAN!
Randomly, I met Heather Olins, who connected me with OMNICamp in Maine, where I applied for a Trip Leader position, and was accepted.
I didn't do many trips - Ski Tech pays poorly, but I did do a great ski trip with Mikki and Lisa near silverton. Thanks girls!
Even though I was trying to run away from LANL last year, the wallet pinch drove me back, and I worked for another 5 weeks. Thank you Pat and Sonja!
Poland Spring, NM After working for LANL, I moved to Maine for the summer to be a Trip Leader at OMNICamp.
On the way to Maine, I visited relatives on my father's side in Minnesota and Wisconsin - crazy. Thanks to Butch, Addie, Ed and Pat.
email me ~ jessenow@yahoo.com