10 Days and 2,800 Miles Later

That about sums it up!  On the 21st I headed up to Denver for a flight back to Ohio.  The days prior were filled with getting things ready for January 3rd when I am officially the sole classroom teacher, getting the dog shots, packing, and playing Santa.  I got to the airport with plenty of time and graded all the papers that were  in need so I didn't have to worry about doing it at home.  The flight was uneventful, which is good.  Anytime there is something in particular to talk about in reference to flying it really isn't good.  It is something like "I sat next to a man who was 400 years old, and weighed the same, and was wearing a jacket from the civil war era that hadn't been washed since then."  That was the case when I flew to Denver to see Matt when he lived here.  Anyway, I was able to smash a whole lot into the trip home.  I enjoyed all of it.  I was able to climb at an old gym, set at my old gym, see old friends, spend time with new friends, have Christmas Movie Night, eat at restaurants that I missed, play hockey on Christmas with the family, spend Christmas with family, celebrate with my brother and his wonderful now fiance, eat good food, drink good beer and the like.  So lets back up for a second and say congratulations to Matt and Jamie who were engaged over the break.  I am so happy for both of you and am so excited you two have found exactly what you both have been looking for.  Jamie you are a great addition to our family.  With that being said I am almost more excited to embarrass both you and Matt since he has made the mistake of asking me to be his best man.  The possibilities are endless. Don't let it deter you from looking forward to the wedding but expect the worst.  Or at least expect an inappropriate speech from an inappropriately drunk part of the groom's party.  Woops.  Sorry in advance.

I woke up on the 27th to come home and felt like I had been run over by the same train 14 times.  I didn't know trains could go forward and backward like that.  I could not even imagine that I was that hungover.  I didn't really have that much to drink and I typically don't get hungover at all.  I could not fathom it.  Well at about noon I had decidedly said that my feeling bad was NOT a hangover.  I had never felt so awful in my life.  I fell asleep on the floor of the Cincinnati airport while fighting back Fiesta Charra from the day before.  I got to DIA and did the same while waiting for my bag.  After several minutes of waiting I started (at random mind you) sweating profusely.  I stripped down to just my t-shirt as it continued.  The feelings of Fiesta Charra's re-entering my life came back just as all the people around me most likely thought I was strung out from a month long binge on some hardcore hallucinogens.  I did not care.  I felt too awful to pay attention or explain to them my state of physical and mental being.  The drive home was no different.  Every bump I hit I nearly vomited.  So that was a nice surprise.  I picked Sharma up from the puppy hotel and got home as quickly as possible.  I was very excited to see him and luckily he was tired so we went to sleep together on my floor in front of the fire.  By about 8pm I started to feel better.  I hadn't been able to eat or drink anything all day and started to think it was food poisoning.  All the symptoms were pointing towards it.  By the next morning I felt significantly better however my stomach was still not a fan of me.  I do not know whether or not it was sushi, or mexican food from the day prior to my departure.  Either way I don't care.  It was awful.  So by noon yesterday I felt fine.  Nothing nata, as if it hadn't happened.  What a horrible way to travel.  I was however pleased that it had come and gone so quickly.

So on a better and less disgusting note I took Sharma hiking yesterday across the street from where we (me and the animals) live which I have started calling the Garbage Steeps, or the Steeps for short.  We hiked for an hour or so and I got ahold of Drew Halliday, or Drew Hallahomo as he is so affectionately listed in my phone, because he and Brad Brobst are coming to visit today for new years etc.  Sharma was happy to be back out hiking.  After our hike I dropped him off and headed out to go climb.  There is a place called Ute Valley Park which I had been to twice before.  I had wanted to go back there for a while now because of one specific problem.  It is on a beautiful 30 degree or so overhung wall that is sustained for between 15 and 18 feet.  It isn't real easy to find a wall of that height and consistency outside.  It obviously isn't that they don't exist, they just aren't around every corner.  Now aside from this problem, which is just beautiful, there is an awesome traverse that tops out after about 15 feet, and two short quality problems on what is called the wave boulder.  These are all pretty good warmups which I needed because the problem I was going to try and send is in the v7 ballpark.  I haven't listed a name because I am not quite sure if what I did is one single problem, or a combination of 2.  In the guidebook the descriptions are quite vague and it doesn't differentiate where the two are separated.  One is called "Chick Power," which is listed as v7/v8 and the other is called "Floater," which is listed at v5/v6.  I thought it felt harder than v5 for sure, and I could have seen it being harder than v6.  At this point my expert opinion comes from Kevin Branford and his thoughts were what I did was around v7.  Either way, as any of you who know me know, I don't really care about the number.  It was a badass climb and I really enjoyed the send so I do not really care.  Well I guess I gave it away.  I did send it and was really stoked about it.  The top out is easy, however the move to the lip is a little scary.  You go from two tenuous slopers with very bad foot chips, and huck up four or so feet to a nice hold.  The problem for me was, the hands aren't great, and you don't have good feet to push from, so you just have to deadpoint it in the right spot.  Sidebar for Mom...The Great Outdoors.com defines a deadpoint as, "A dynamic move which involves precision movement in order to catch the hold at the peak of the move before momentum waivers and gravity starts taking over."  I actually missed the move once which was a little scary because at this point your feet are 12-15 feet off the deck.  I have become quite good at pad placement since most of my time bouldering is spent by myself or with the dog, who isn't a very good spotter despite my persistent emphasis on the need to be.  He still ignores me.  

So I got home last night and made dinner for Kevin and Jessie Branford (Kevin is this funny?  Jessie I know you find it entertaining.).  I made them enchiladas which are a recipe of my old friend Scott Pun.  Both enjoyed them so thanks Scott.  I do make them quite often so the thanks is from them and me.  Afterward I logged and edited video that I shot from the day climbing and made it to bed a shade before midnight.  Now take a guess where I am and what I am doing.  Yep, drinking coffee, listening to music, looking out my window at the mountains, and planning the rest of my day, which involves making out reports cards, and who am I kidding, going rock climbing.  Maybe day two on the bloody arete?  I kind of hope not.  Either way, time to carpe diem....seize the carp. (Out Cold reference anyone?)

When the mountains speak, wise men listen.

-John Muir

 The dog has made the executive decision that all of my belongings are now his pillows.

Matt's Christmas gift...coal.

 Christmas Movie Night, Obviously.

This picture is not relevant except for the fact that I just found it.  This is a picture, framed, and on the wall at a bar in Luxembourg.  Kinda funny.

Oh My goodness!  So this is not very nice.  I'll preface with that.  I was sitting here at my kitchen table before I left for Ohio and looked out my window to see a man doing what can only be described as, really bad yoga with a mix of  a 3rd grader's karate attempt.  He was in the street, directly out in front of my window.  How could I resist.  It went on for about 15 minutes, and here is a video of about a minute of it.  Enjoy.  It's not nice, but please, he is bringing it upon himself by doing it in the middle of the frickin street, directly outside my home.

Now here is the climbing video from today.