overdue

Well I figure given my September blogging record I am long overdue for another post. I am at work so this will be (might be?) brief, and without fun pictures (at least for the moment).

My birthday party last weekend was a success. No one was sick, no one passed out, and no one but Burley did any pullups. Perhaps because I had a (rigidly enforced) shirtless pullup policy. Everyone but the super troopers bailed to Boom at some point, but who can resist the call of the gaybar?

The next day (my actual birthday) was super awesome. Everyone came over to my place again and Adam cooked us a very tasty breakfast. We all sat at the big table drinking coffee and eating until almost 1:00. I didn't even have to do any dishes post breakfast, Erick did those. :) I've got to say, having your friends come over on your birthday, clean your kitchen, make breakfast, and then do the dishes is pretty special. I would recommend it to anyone. If anyone would like to borrow my friends, I'll loan them out to you for a nominal fee. :P

So after breakfast was more good times. Adam, Jones, Norfolk, Erick, and I drove down to Sunnyside for a half-day of climbing. We met Jeff, Michelle, Henniger, and Allison there. A good time was had by all. I did my first lead (5.7 - Superstar), and got on another fun 5.8 and took a stab at Solaris (5.11c). Solaris was awesome. Its got this dyno thats just huge.. It took me about 6 tries to get it, but I stuck it in the end even though both feet came off. After that there is a move that is super hard for me and I could hardly hang onto where you have to do the move from, let alone actually do the move. So I was defeated by Solaris... but I'll be back! We finished climbing around 6 and then stood around and admiring the view while the sun went down behind us.

On Wednesday Matt Peck, Dottie, Erick and I went climbing at the gagetown gym. I did two more leads. The first was solid, but I got super pumped out on the second and backclipped myself up at the very top so I had to come down. :P After that I just did toprope. Its amazing how much you lose if you let yourself get too pumped. I felt like I couldn't climb for shit after the second lead.

I tell ya though, I am not looking forwards to experiencing a big whipper when I'm belaying. For you non climbing types, a whipper is when the person climbing on lead takes a big fall and pulls the belay person off the ground. I think its called a whipper because the person belaying can get slammed into the wall as well as lifted off the ground. The force of the fall pulls you right into the wall, since the climber is clipped into quick draws which are clipped onto the bolts on the wall. Erick had a tiny fall on one lead climb, and I came about two feet off the ground so I hate to think what an actual fall of several feet would do. I think it would probably be a good idea for me to be tied down in general. :p

Tomorrow UNB Rock and Ice is having a climbing comp. I am planning on going in this one just to see what this comp business is all about. I am hoping they are going to have a slackline competition as well, since thats one area I stand a chance. Jeff has been looking pretty strong there lately, but I'm thinking I can stand on it longer than him. We'll see, won't we Jeff? ;)

st.andrews by the sea

Just wanted to share some photos I took this weekend of my parents property and surrounding area. Above is looking towards the tip of my parents property, on the left.


This is the pond on which I learned to skate, and which my brother and I sailed the boats he made in the summer.


This was taken standing on my parent's beach, looking across the little bay.


This is standing on a hill in the big field looking down over a little peninsula which sticks into the cove.


This is in the little wooded section which sticks out into the bay at the end of our big field.


Looking through the trees into the bay.


Looking down a little cliff into the water.


A shell I found on a rock near the water.


The front of my parent's house. This is where I grew up.