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Sunday, August 5, 2007

Reach for the Top

Here are some pictures from this weekend. Mostly climbing, with a random assortment of things I saw or noticed.



This was a nice weekend. Friday, Scott and I went out with friends from his lab namely Kenway, Maggie and Eric De Witt (not to be confused with Eric Bryant) for Pizza. I happened to have a bottle of wine with me from an event that I worked earlier in the week, so we enjoyed that as we watched a crazy squirrel steal a huge slice from the trashcan. This particular pizza joint had a back garden where we sat and watched the squirrel try to keep the slice which was bigger than him, away from the competing pigeons. I think he also may have been frightened by the various camera wielders coming at him from every direction. Sorry to say the best shot I could get to share with you all is the tip of his tail as he runs away with the pizza. Perhaps Eric got a better picture. After that we went out to a few other places and eventually made our way over to Sky and Anna's new apartment, which was fantastic. I'm very excited for them to have a little more space in the new place. They also generously gave us their leather couch and large Sony TV, so we've upgraded our furniture a little and I no longer have to explain to people that I can't afford a Sony TV even if I work there. I'm still not sure if our house has room for the couch. But it may get to stay for a little longer.

Saturday we met up with Brian and Kenway to go climbing at a rock gym. I'd gone before with my roommate at the time Valerie, but only once or twice. Kenway was a great teacher, very patient and thorough. You could tell he put safety first, which I would guess anyone would appreciate in a climbing partner. You don't want to slip and find at the last moment that someone didn't tighten a strap or double back on a halter. He also belayed for us all, which was good since I didn't feel confident enough to do any belaying, and I didn't really want to take the time to get "certified." If I go again I probably will, but I hear they're closing for renovations soon so it may be awhile. If I ever get good enough it would be fun to go climbing out in the wilderness. I climbed some easy routes, and almost make it to the top on others. Scott seemed to have a slight (read huge) advantage with his massive reach. Maybe someday I'll grow up and have long arms too. It was a lot of fun though my forearms are sore today and I'm minus a decent sized chunk of skin. I now sport evidence of having played softball and gone climbing, perhaps if I get a paper cut tomorrow anyone looking at me can determine every activity I've done for the week by my small injuries. I think if I were slightly more graceful I would have fewer injuries. But I can honestly say no one has ever suggested I change my middle name to anything remotely resembling Grace.

3 comments:

  1. I think you and I should both change our middle names to Grace and then book ourselves as a sideshow act of the Clumsiest Women on Earth. After my building/moving of my desk & bookshelf this weekend, I'm about 87% bruise and 13% non-bruise.

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  2. Thanks for the pics! I love the squirrel capture; sort of like the Loch Ness Monster in that 'almost caught it' quality.

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  3. Happy to share Brian. Thanks for the comments. hehe they don't use the word squirrelly for no reason. Though I'm not sure that's how you spell it.

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Recap Defined

ri•cap 1 (rē-kāp') Pronunciation Key tr.v. ri•capped, ri•cap•ping, ri•caps
1. a summary at the end that repeats the substance of a longer discussion
2. To replace a cap or caplike covering on: recapped the camera lens.
3. Ri - a female given name: derived from Adrienne.