Moving Fail

Is it wrong to laugh or find humor with other peoples hardships? I hope not. You have to laugh at life, right? This certainly lightened my mood this morning as I was pulling into work. Hidden behind the little RV are the tires of the moving trailer about 5 or 6 feet off the ground. Probably not the most efficient way to move/store your stuff.

Uninspired Title

After safely driving our buckled-up pumpkins home, it was time to cut them up, gut them, and light them on fire. HOORAY!!! It's been years since I last carved a pumpkin so I was pretty excited. We even saved the seeds to season and roast.

I took the smallest pumpkin because it was the best size for my design. If anyone can correctly guess what it is, you win... well you don't win anything other than knowing that you made me happy that someone gets it. Not necesarilly the most creative idea, but I had the best detail work of the three pumpkins.

Chris and Sam took one of the big ones and made a sweet little kitty pattern in to evil kitty. It's hard to see but she has fangs and mean eyebrows. Karen had the most creative pumpkin by far.

You can't see why it was so creative in that picture, but this will show you. Tongue suppressors for teeth, gauze for hair, and a beer bottle through the head. Nice.

Late Climbing Post

I went climbing last Sunday and forgot to post these pics that I took. Alex and I headed to an area called Puma Ridge in Camp Hale. It was a bit of a trek up to the ridge because there was no trail. The rock we were climbing on was pretty loose in many areas. We had a guide book and decided to start on a relatively easy 5.10a route. Alex took the first lead and had a pretty hard time, which is weird because a climb of that difficulty should be a cake walk for him. After looking at the wall more, we realized that the book must be a bit out of date and a route must have been added somewhere. The route we started on was a 5.11a as opposed to the 5.10a we thought it was. Anyway, there was a great view from the top of the climb.

The next route was a 5.10a. Alex took the first lead and we pulled the rope for me to lead it next. It was pretty easy, but I was tired from warming up on the first route, which is at or above my climbing level. So by the time I got towards the top and was going to clip the anchors, I barely had any strength left. I thought about taking a fall and giving it another go, but after seeing what the fall looked like (seeing where I would swing into the wall) I decided to tough it out and go for the clip. I summoned the last bit of energy I had and barely fumbled the rope into the anchor before my grip gave out. That is a great feeling!

Not sure that I would go back to this area to climb again. The approach didn't have a trail so we had to bushwack our way up and the rock on the wall was pretty loose. If the rock was more stable, it would be a really cool place to climb.

Pumpkins Biznitches

We finally found some pumpkins. I think they are the last ones in the valley and they were STUPID expensive. Here is our happy little pumpkin family.

Halloween Costume

I don't have anything good to write about. Instead I will tell you of the two options I am thinking about for my Halloween costume. There are 2 problems with my costumes. First, they both require at least one other person to help me. Second, I don't know how to pull them off.

Here's the first idea. The bar we are going to for Halloween is having a Vegas theme. One of my friends was talking about going as a tiger, so I suggested that me and person X could be Siegfried and Roy and she could be the white tiger. AWESOME! I know. However, I can't find anyone to be the Roy to my Siegfried. And I haven't really done any shopping to find a flamboyantly gay frilly shirt, tight black pants, gold chains, much less a tiger-stripe jacket.

My other option is to be a Beaver Boy. Watch this video for a better understanding. I even bought 2 of the shrimp hats. I'm hoping they come in before Friday. Again, I don't have anyone to pull it off with me. And I don't know many people up here that know what the hell Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job is. Even if they knew what it is, they would likely not get the inane ridiculous humor and think it was funny as I do.

Maybe I'll go as a mop instead.

Tumbleweed: A Short Story

Saturday started off with the best of intentions, but somehow deteriorated in the early afternoon. After a short mountain bike ride, Chris set up a TV by the hottub for us to watch UT play OSU in a much anticipated football game. Some of you may know that I went to school at Texas so I was very excited about the game. I provided a small cooler and bought beer so we wouldn't have to get out during the game (other than to pee). During halftime a random tumbleweed blew by and I begged Chris to retrieve it. It was to become my lucky tumbleweed umbrella.




Sitting in the hottub and drinking 5 or 6 beers over a three hour game can cause one to lose their sobriety. At some point my lucky tumbleweed began to sink. I was sad.

However, the tumbleweed still did its job and Texas won the game 28-24, much to the dismay of my parents who were unfortunate enough to attend OSU. The end.

How I Could Have Died

Yesterday was great fun. Went for a jog at lunch, sat inside and played on the computer at my desk, then went climbing after work... and could have died. "How" you ask? Let me tell you.

Since it finally warmed up enough this week to get outside, I was itching to go climbing. I left work to pick up my friend Alex and drove to yet another climbing area. We wanted to go somewhere that got good late-day sun and wasn't too far away so we could maximize our climbing time. He suggested a climbing wall across from the Wolcott boulders and I was in. The approach took about 20-30 minutes from the car. By the time we got set up, the sun was almost setting over a ridge, but there was still plenty of light.

We chose an easy route to start with. I took the first lead and immediately realized that although it wasn't a hard climb, it would be challenging due to the condition of the rock. There was lichen all over that kept you from getting a solid grip with either your hands or your feet. Plus alot of the holds had loose dirt in them which made them even more slippery. It was the equivalent of walking on marbles. Once I got past the third bolt, I was much more comfortable and cruised up the remainder of the route. After untying from the rope, it was Karen's turn. Alex was going last so he could clean the route.

Karen followed my route, unclipping the rope from the carabiners as she went. She made it to about the second or third bolt before she decided she had enough. So she came down and it was Alex's turn. He was going to lead it, so I started pulling the rope through the anchors. About halfway up the wall... disaster. The rope got stuck in one of the carabiners. Karen didn't know she was supposed to completely untie the figure eight, so the remaining knot got stuck in the biner.

Have you ever had one of those moments where something happens, you look at your friends, eyes as big as the moon, jaw wide enough to insert a watermelon, and can't help but nervously laugh? This was one of those times. Here were our options:

1. Alex or I could climb up to the point where the rope was caught - WITHOUT A ROPE - and tie in there.
2. We could hike out, drive back to Alex's car to get his rope, drive back, hike the 20-30 minutes back up, and retrieve all my gear.
3. I could walk around the side and find a way to scramble to the top so I could let the rope down.

The first option would be pretty dumb. If you remember, I mentioned that the condition of the rock wasn't that great. Not worth it to risk a 20-25 foot fall to the ground because you misstep on some lichen. The second option would be the safest, but would take too long. The sun was already setting over the ridge and it wouldn't be long before it was completely dark. Even with head lamps and the bright stars, not a very fun option. So off I went to scramble to the top.

As I scaled the easy boulders to the top, I pulled a classic move. "I wonder if there are any mountain lions around here?" DUMB Dan, just DUMB. Real smart to freak yourself out about something you have no control over just before you traverse some sketchy rock. I quickly reached the top and started the traverse over to the anchors. Crawling over loose rock, shifting dirt, and unknown territory is not the most confidence inspiring activity. I slowly made my way above the anchors and let out a huge sigh of relief... much too early. Now I had to climb down to the anchors. I have a healthy fear of heights. By that I mean I am freaked out about falling, but not so much that I lock up. You have to stay relaxed and comfortable to perform your best. But I still don't like the idea of falling 50-60 feet to a rocky ledge.

I assess the best way to climb down. My preference would be to clip into the anchors from above before climbing down, but they are just out of reach. There are two decent knobs I can grab to lower myself down, but they are still sandy, so I rub them down as much as possible before trusting my life to them. The ledge that I am on juts out slightly, so I can't really see if there are any decent feet below. This was the scariest part. Smearing my shoes on the face (wish I had brought my climbing shoes to the top with me), I carefully lower myself to the ledge below. Clip myself into the anchors. Breath of relief. Breath of life. Thank GOD (whatever you believe god to be) I didn't fall.

From there I was able to send the taunting rope down. Clipped onto the rope for my rappel, and down I went, unclipping the remaining carabiners from the rope as I passed them. Safely at the bottom, it was very near dark.

Dan: "Well there's a lesson to be learned in all of this. Always check the end of the rope before you pull it. I'll always remember from now on."

There was still time for Alex to climb (and my anchors were still at the top), so I started pulling the rope again. Pulled the rope halfway...

Dan: "Did you guys untie the knot?"

Karen: "That was the first thing we did when the rope got down."

Dan: "Maybe I didn't learn my lesson?"

Winter On Its Way

I have a friend who is dog/house-sitting in Cordillera. I went up the other day to help by feeding the dogs. It had snowed a little and the clouds were still hanging around. I took this on the way back down, overlooking Edwards.





I mentioned in my last post that it's cold and starting to snow. Here's proof.

It snowed about 6 inches last night, and has been snowing on and off through the day. The next 5 days are supposed to be clear and sunny, so most of this will melt off. I guarantee you I will be climbing every second I can until the next snow. Hopefully we'll have enough people climbing so I can take pics to post.

Biking and Climbing

Last weekend was a great return to my outdoor activities. Chris was out of town enjoying the warmth that is Texas, so I was afraid that I may end up pulling another weekend of computer games and football. Luckily some new friends kept me out of the house. I spent a lazy Friday night chilling in the hot tub and then opening my friends eye's to the awesomeness that is the movie Clay Pigeons. They all seemed to be a bit disturbed, but I love that movie.


I woke up Saturday morning and decided to join my friend Karen on a mountain bike ride. She has a friend that races alot and is really good. So the plan was for me to join those 2 ladies and one of their other friends on a nice ride in Vail. I kept up and stayed towards the front for the 1.5 hour climb to the top. My strategy was to keep them talking so they would run out of breath which worked well. However, they CRUSHED me coming back down on the singletrack. I don't have much technical experience on that stuff and it showed. There were some great views from a clearing. This is the Gore Range.

We were directly across from Vail Mountain. Most of the front side can be seen from that vantage point.

Here is the group that crushed me. I'm (obviously) on the left, Karen, Kerry (the bad ass), and Sarah (also incredible on the singletrack).

I believe this is New York Mountain (same as in the background of the previous shot).

After the grueling (not really, I just haven't been on a bike in a long time) ride, we scarfed down burgers at E-Town and then watched UT beat the crap out of Mizzou. HOOK 'EM HORNS!

Sunday came to a slow start, but was an awesome day of climbing in Gillman Canyon. My friend Alex and I took some newbies out. The rock was cold, but the climbing was really easy. Good for a confidence booster. While pulling the rope before leading, my arm grew to tremendous proportions.

Here I am before the crux of a fun climb.

The only problem with this weekend is that my taste for climbing and biking was not quenched and now it has started snowing and getting really cold. Guess I'll just have to tough it out.

Vail Resorts Sucks

Ahhh corporate America... you have left a bitter taste in my mouth. Not that I didn't see it coming, but Vail really sucks. The resort was fiscally responsible by not giving the big-wigs raises this year. Instead they got promotions, which obviously result in higher salaries. As for the rest of us? "Well, the economy is really not doing very well so we aren't even going to give a big enough raise to our employees to keep up with the cost of living. Sorry little guy. Surely someone will replace you. After all, we are in the mountains and everyone wants to live here." That is a direct quote.

So now I'd like to propose a toast to my crapiest raise ever. Drum roll please... 23 cents!!!!

Thanks alot ASS HOLES!

p.s. On a lighter note, I'll post soon with an update of what I did this past weekend. It was a GREAT weekend!

Chautauqua

I've been out of the office the last 2 days in various meetings. We had a 6.5 hour claims review on Wednesday in Keystone. Not much fun, but it is always a nice change of pace. Yesterday we drove down to the corporate offices in Broomfield for a legal/risk department overview meeting. Afterwards we headed to Chautauqua in Boulder for a nice hike. I didn't get very good pictures, but this is a view of Boulder.





On our way out I snagged this one, too. It is nice to still be able to take some pictures of fall colors.

The hike was pretty easy on well-worn trails and the weather was perfect. Around 60 degrees with a calm breeze. You can't ask for much better (especially when you are still getting paid). I tried to get a pic of a sign as we were headed back. I thought it was kinda funny. Unfortunately, we drove by too quickly and the picture was more of the window tinting. I still think it made for a cool pic.

The sign itself was very effective. I'm not sure how long they have had it up, but I'm sure it has accomplished its purpose by now. It read "TEST SIGN."

Comment Decision

Over 72% of you voted to have comments pop-up as opposed to open in a large window. Pretty much a landslide vote. So, as you wish, comments will now pop up.

And Now The Main Event...

I know you all have been anxiously awaiting some pictures of my new glasses. So here you go.




And now, deep in thought...

I have way too many pictures of myself while sitting at my desk.

Molester Glasses

The frames I almost bought. (Posted via mobile blog)

Spectacles

They came in early! I've had contacts for about 2.5 years, and I went straight with contacts and skipped the glasses. It was easy since my prescription was so light (either +/- .25). Now that the "benefits year" at work just rolled over, I decided it was time to have glasses for a back up. I end up wearing my contacts way longer than I need to each day. I went to get some prescription glasses 10/3/08 and they said it would take about 2 weeks. Lucky me, they came in just over a week!

I have kind of an excited nervousness about wearing them. Part of the reason I didn't get them before is because I am unsure of how I will look in glasses. I almost went with some sweet child-molester glasses.

However, I opted for a more youthful not-so-molestey frame. I'll post a pic tonight or tomorrow after I pick them up.

Cougar Hunting

Chris and I are professional cougar hunters.

How Long Could You Last?

I found this on Hillary's blog. I guess the wrestling experience helps alot.

I could survive for 1 minute, 9 seconds chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor

As Promised... More Fall

I said yesterday that I would post some more pictures of fall in the valley. Unfortunately most of the leaves have already parted way from the trees they so lovingly clung to during the summer. And by the time I got to the top of my ride on Berry Creek, the sun was setting so the light was too flat to catch the color that remained on the canvas of Colorado. The pictures that I got ended up being more of sunset pictures than fall pictures.

I wish I could post a bigger picture of these. Here is a closer view of the peaks in the last one. You can see a little bit of the golden leaves.

The sunset itself wasn't as grand as some others that I have seen so far.

Stupid PODS

I am starting to semi-plan for moving back to TX... just checking out my options. My biggest concerns right now:

1. when will I leave
2. where will I move to in Austin
3. where will I work
4. how will I get my 2+ carloads of stuff back to Austin

I checked out PODS to see how much it would cost to move my stuff and potentially store it for a month. That way I could move in one trip without having to rent a trailer or tow my car on a U-Haul. I really don't feel like navigating the roads up here with a trailer during the winter. But of course, PODS doesn't service anywhere near where I live. The closest place is in Denver, which is 1.5-2 hours away. Maybe it will just be better to rent a U-Haul or trailer. Chris also mentioned that he may be willing to drive down and take a load in his SUV, but I can't count on that for my move. Especially since I don't know about #1 above.

Any Suggestions?

Evening Plans

The brilliant fall colors are starting to... fall. So before they are all gone I am going to ride up Berry Creek across from my house so I can snag some pictures of the valley. We'll see how the view is. Come back tomorrow for pics!

Wolcott Bouldering

Climbing and bouldering are fun. I remembered that after the most recent TX trip. So before it gets cold and starts snowing, I'm going to do as much of it as possible. Maybe even a trip to Indian Creek in Utah. Yesterday I went bouldering with my friends Alex and Blair. Today we are going to Gilman Canyon for some sport climbing. I can't wait to get out there! Here is a shot of Alex working a hard problem at Wolcott. The landing really sucks. If you're coming down, you want to make sure to jump off and away from the wall. Otherwise you'll have a nice meeting with Mr. Rock. (That's the moon just to the right of his head.)

I finally got 3 pairs of shoes back that I had sent to the Rubber Room to get resoled. (Note to the wise... don't type in rubberroom.com to find the site at work. I got a page that said something like "FORBIDDEN ZONE - This page has been blocked by your administrator and this occurrence has been logged. p.s. Pack your crap now because you will be fired shortly. Enjoy the rest of your day... perv.") It felt so good to slide my aching toes back into my Moccasyms. The sole is more flexible than most and feels like an extra hand as it grips around the smallest little rock feature available.

They treated me well as I worked on a problem I have been attempting for awhile now.

Once I finally got through the lower crimpy section and into the crack, I was prety much done.

Decision 2008 - cont.

Instead of having you comment to determine how comments should be displayed, I set up a poll. You have a week to vote for your preference. The poll is available at the top right of the page. Enjoy!

Would You Like Some Butter With Your Roll?

I'm on a roll playing catch up with my posts today. I hope you enjoy!

Warren Zevon

I re-watched the first episode from the new season of Californication with Chris last night and the closing song caught my ear. For anyone unfamiliar with the show, and more specifically this episode, the song fit perfectly. After looking it up on YouTube, I researched some more of his work. How did I not hear of him before? Here's the song from the show that I liked so much. If you have sensitive ears, you may not want to watch/listen.



He did many other songs that you are most likely familiar with, but didn't realize were him (ie. Werewolves of London). I never even realized what he was saying in that song.



His story is darkly ironic. The first song I posted, "My Shit's Fucked Up," was on an album he released in 2000 called Life'll Kill Ya. Two years later he was diagnosed with mesothelioma. He later died in 2003. Allmusic.com goes into much better detail and provides a better report. Warren appeared on David Letterman on several occasions. He was the sole guest on his final appearance and performed several of his songs. Interesting guy, glad I found his music.

Decision 2008

I finally went in to change some of the settings on the comment section of my blog. (I never really thought about doing it before.) It now allows people without gmail to leave comments (those of you registered some other way or those who prefer to remain anonymous).

A question to those who read my blog:

Do you prefer a pop-up comment window or the standard full page?

Lazy Weekend, Great Jog

I had the house to myself this past weekend. Bittersweet. It's always nice to have the house to yourself every once in a while, but at the same time, I wouldn't have minded a little company. My waking hours were spent watching football (fall is here for sure), playing computer games until the wee hours of the morning, and exercising (so I wouldn't be a complete loser). This was the first opportunity I have had in months where I didn't really do jack squat on a weekend. Between hiking mountains, camping, traveling, attending a music festival, and drinking heavily, my weekends have been pretty jam packed since mid-June.

My usual jogging trail from home takes me along a hike and bike trail next to the road. This weekend I opted to do some trail running through one of the Eagle County Open Spaces. It's basically just on the other side of the river from the hike and bike trail. Main benefit... open space and no road. It was picture perfect outside. I'll have to go back down there to snap some shots before all the leaves start falling off the trees. Close your eyes and imagine this... (ok, so have someone read it to you so you can close your eyes) a gentle river trickling by on your right, perfect temperature (you can wear a long sleeve top without sweating and still have the slightest twinge of a chill on your legs), puffy cotton-ball clouds spotting a crystal blue sky, and yellow trees scattered around the path with a light covering of golden leaf on the ground. It reminded me of something you would see in a magazine. Who knows, maybe someone has been down there before to take pictures for some magazine cover. Anyway, despite the fact that it was really great to get out of the house, it was a perfect day for a jog. I've also been trying to worry less about my pace when I jog. Instead of pushing myself to my jogging limit, I let myself breathe and enjoy the experience. Something I had forgot about until I went jogging with Shiloh while I was in San Marcos. Thanks sweetness.

Texas Comfort Food

Got back from TX late Tuesday night, worked and stayed busy on Wednesday, and by Thursday my sole remaining roommate had left for a birthday trip to Vegas. Feeling lonely, I decided I needed some comfort food while I watched the VP debates. I cooked up a batch of Wick Fowler's 2-Alarm Chili (my very own modified Texas style = lots of beef + no beans + green bell pepper for flavor and color), some corn bread, and bought the most expensive 6-pack of Shiner I have ever seen. If you ask me, nothing goes better with a steaming bowl of chili than a Shiner Bock, so the $9 was well spent.

It's Fall-ing

Before I left for TX, the leaves on the Aspens were already starting to change and there were small golden pockets scattered through the valley. I tried to capture some of it in this post, but you couldn't really see the changes very well. Once I returned, I realized that I almost missed it all together. While wasting some time before an appointment the other day, I drove up the mountain across from the Vail ski area. Perfection in nature (other than the choking growth of civilization).

Tagged!

I got tagged by Teej and decided it was time to actually do one of these. I usually hate them because I feel an overwhelming responsibility to be funny/witty. I also need to do one that Jane had posted. I have a bunch of other crap that I want to write about too, but most of my excessive free time at work this week has been spent catching up on other people's blogs as opposed to updating mine... as evidenced by the crappy writing of my last post.

A. Attached or single ? Technically, single. But not interested in looking because I'm attached (depending on your definition of attached). It's really quite simple and painfully complicated at the same time. Plus she reads my blog so I have probably said too much already.

B. Best friend ? I'm lucky enough to have alot of people who could fit this description. Actually... that's bullshit. I have alot of really good friends, but I'm not sure I could tag anyone as my best friend. I'm able to draw different qualities from different people, and they are all important to me.

C. Cake or pie ? Red Velvet Cake - mainly for the rich frosting. And I kinda like it a bit crumbly. Man, I can smell it right now. The rich creamy frosting melting in my mouth. The moist cake tingling my taste buds. Damn it, I'm going to have to go get one now.

D. Day of choice ? Any day I can play outside with good friends.

E. Essential item ? Water bottle. You will seldom see me without either my Sigg or a Nalgene. And I hate dry mouth and dehydration.

F. Favourite colour ? blue I have a hard time pinpointing many favourites, but this has never been a problem for me. I read in a magazine once that a mans favourite color is whatever women say it is. Maybe it's because of my eyes.

G. Gummy bears or worms ? Bears. The clear ones. Deeee-lish!

H. Hometown ? Arlington, TX, though you wouldn't know from my accent... unless I'm drunk.

I. ( favourite ) Indulgence ? The sugar cookies you get at the grocery with pink frosting and sprinkles. My roommates can vouch.

J. January or July ? I'm a summer boy, so I'm going with July. No question.

K. Kids ? Someday. For sure.

L.Life isnt complete without ? Is this where I'm supposed to get all Buddhist and say I need nothing?

M. Marriage date ? No current plans.

N. Number of brothers and sisters ? One brother (5.5 years older) and one sister (2.5 years older). That means I'm the baby, gotta love me!

O. Oranges or apples ? I love oranges, but I eat apples more often. Less messy.

P. Phobias ? I try not to think about them. They scare me.

Q. Quotes? "It was the best of times, if only someone had told me." -Californication

R. Reasons to smile? I'm moving back to Austin!

S. Season of choice ? Summer fo sho sho

T. Tag five people ? I'd love to, but there aren't 5 people who read my blog that write their own blog.

U. Unknown fact about me? If I told you, that would mean I knew it, so it wouldn't be unknown. Anyone know how/when I will die? That doesn't work either, because then you would know it... again keeping it from being unknown. My argument is that there can be no known unknowns. Wow, that's a weird word... known.

V. Vegetable ? This one's for you mom... Corn and mashed potatoes! Gotta have my starches.

W. Worst habit ? Procrastinating. But I'll tell you about that later.

X. X-ray or ultrasound ? X-ray. I got nothing.

Y. Your favourite food ? Almost anything Mexican.

Z. Zodiac sign ? Taurus. Yep

Austin Trip

I have been out for the last week on vacation, so I haven't been posting much to my blog. It's crazy... when I don't sit bored at a desk for most of the day, I actually get out and do stuff.

I had a great time on my trip to Austin. After spending my first day with Shiloh in San Marcos, I borrowed her car and went to Austin on Thursday. I had lunch with my sister then got in a few hours of climbing with my friend Alan at Seismic. Headed over to Matt and Mary Ellen's for a delicious chicken enchilada dinner before going back to San Marcos.

We drove back to Austin on Friday morning and I got ready for my first day of ACL Fest. Matt was kind enough to let me borrow his bike so I could avoid all the traffic (and because I didn't have a car). The shows on Friday were great, my favorite being N.E.R.D. I left the show early on Friday so I could make it up north to Satay for my sister's b-day dinner.

Saturday was also a good day. I managed to wiggle my wristband off on the first day. That let me sneak it back out so Shiloh could get in too. After enjoying The Old 97's (actually I didn't really get to enjoy it because I was texting with my sister the whole time trying to arrange lunch) we left to meet my fam for lunch/drinks. It was great to see my parents, Dave, Jade, and the ever-smiling Marly (their daughter). I really need to get some pics of her up here. After becoming mildly intoxicated on some Mojito's, we rode back to ACL Fest just in time to catch Erykah Badu. After several more hours of great shows and choking on dust, we made our way to Barton Springs for a quick dip. So amazing. Then it was on to the Glamour Shots Party. Embarassing pictures to come.

I skipped out on Sunday and relaxed for most of the day before MEW lent me her car to go to San Marcos for the evening. I spent Monday napping and jogging before going for an afternoon climb with Alan at Gus Fruh. I was really happy with how well I was climbing. My endurance is still pretty pathetic, but I felt much more confident. I was leading a route called Charlie Don't Surf that has a big tufa. After passing the tufa is a thin section that I had forgot how to do. I barely made it through without falling. I really don't know how I didn't fall. My arms were cramping and my grip was giving just as I grabbed a decent hold. I was much more cautious the rest of the route. That evening I spent with Matt and Luis at his new house. It just so happens to be about 2 blocks from my last dwelling.

Tuesday came around and I had nothing to do, and plenty of time. You can imagine my excitement when Shiloh said she was coming up so we could run some errands and spend my last day together. It wasn't until she dropped me off at the airport and pulled away that I really started to wish I had another week.