Signs from Above

This year for my birthday we decided to take a weekend class on gear placement and crack climbing techniques. It was really a great time. I will need a lot of practice before I can lead a trad climb, but at least I have a place to start.

Now I need to figure out what gear I want to buy...yeah...that's going to take some time since a Cam will cost anywhere from $45 to $100. Ouch, my pocketbook is already empty.

Back to the weekend -- Our first day was warm and nice, we sat and talked mostly. The best part was learning the anchors and practicing placing gear while on the ground, which covered the whole day. We did a mock climb where we were on top rope and got to faux lead the climb and place our gear. Then one of our instructors would tell us how unsafe the placement was -- they were very kind, but it let me know that I need much more practice. It was a lot of fun.

Day two was all climbing. The point wasn't to send the climb as much as practice the movements, and figure out other techniques. I really struggled with that until the end of the day, but I'm starting to figure it out. At one point of the day, I was walking over to belay for a climber that was going to clean the anchor. As we were walking, a huge boulder crashed right next to us. If I had been moving a little faster it could possibly have crushed my head.

The sign from above reads -- "Watch for falling rocks."

Dinner with Dad's

Sara and I took our fathers out to dinner last night. We would have done this on Father's Day, but that also happens to be my birthday and we will be doing a outing to learn some traditional climbing skills. I know -- selfish me.

Anyway, we had a very nice dinner and conversation. I learned something about myself during that dinner. My awkward connections to a conversation are not unique to me. My Dad does the same thing...Go figure. I think it is that we, my dad and I, try to relate our own experiences into a conversation. Now that doesn't seem out of the ordinary, but the way we do it makes other people pause and think -- "Where's he going with this comment?"

I noticed it when I was talking about a lead route I had set in the local climbing gym, and I was explaining that I wanted to force left handed clipping, and moving beyond the anchor before actually clipping the rope. Well, this lead to my dad bringing up handball. It took a moment before his comments came around to dexterity and the skills required to be a good player. Thus the connection -- dexterity of climbing and handball.

Yep, we are the products of our parents.

Me and my tinfoil hat

Sara and I participated in the Election Protection, that totally failed. We thought that if we watched we could prevent the election of 2004 from being stolen. We failed to do our job. Interestingly, we talked to so many people of what we saw, and what we knew to be true. Some said we were nut-cases, and tinfoil hat wearer's, and other such names.

I chose to live with the names. I know what I saw, and the evidence has always been there. Not to mention that as the Republican party self destructs more and more of the truth is starting to show.

Well, it has only taken a year and a half since our democracy was undermined and now we have a reporter taking the time to document, with references and all, the fraud that leads all the way to the Bush administration. For those brave enough to read the truth, there is much to sift through. Take your time. The truth is almost never easy to find.