Most Days

Hey. Long time. I wrote a post back in March and never published it. I guess I just didn't feel that much had been going on. Or maybe I had enough going on and it was more the mundane events that you all don't really need to know about... or more likely you just know instinctively.

Since my unpublished post Spring and Summer have happened and it has been a busy exciting and fun time. Back in April my good friends Amy and Paul and myself left for Spring Break. We did the drive to Vegas, and had a wonderful snow storm to drive through. Paul and Amy are unseasoned at the long haul drive and decided next year we are flying. Wimps.

It was a climbing trip and like most trips we climb, eat, and sleep. Tired from the drive and not able to check in to the hotel (yeah, we were roughing it) we started out doing some easy sport climbs at Cannibal Crag, and while the climbing is awesome I think most of us were distracted by the lingerie shoot going on behind us. I'd post the pictures but really it was more a distraction. We climbed just a few routes and were glad when the hours rolled towards our check in time.

We went to the Strip, which was my first time, and enjoyed being tourist for a while. And then we caught up on much needed sleep. The next morning was nice and we climbed for a bit until the wind picked up. The day cut a bit short we headed back to the Strip and found more trouble. Of course, the following day would become a forced rest day and our plan for adventure drew us to the Adventure Dome. This is an indoor theme park and we had fun... until the "4D" ride totally bugged me out. I was fine flipping upside down, being swung around in circles, but the video and shaking....brruupt.

And then it was back to our climbing adventure. We spent a day of "everyone leads" at Panty Wall, and a day on Solar Slab, and a final day with just a few climbs back at Cannibal Crag before heading home. No big adventure, but lots of fun none-the-less.

Following the return home, I'm sure I did a few days of skiing, but not enough of it. I wish I'd kept up with skiing one day of each month but regular life does happen. Summer came on quickly and there was lots of whining about the rain. I managed to play soccer twice a week. And dancing once a week.

The dancing has been quite fun but as the summer heat came on I put it on hold... I'll be going back to it in September. I have become a pretty good lead in West Coast Swing, and I do alright with the other dance steps. I think my favorites are the swings, but I'd like to get better at the waltz and foxtrot.

On the climbing topic, I got to tick off a few climbs on my list. One was to climb Deidre in Squamish -- I've been trying to get to it for the last three years. I actually did it twice this year, once swapping leads and once leading the whole thing. I went back and led Master Of My Domain, and I even added a few climbs I had never before led to my list. I also got to zipline, which wasn't as much thrilling as just fun. And I also got to water ski for the first time in probably twenty years. I got up but the waters were rugged so I didn't do any fancy turns. Next year.

I have my sights set on a few more immediate things for now. Keep your fingers crossed that I'm successful... I'd appreciate it if you would anyway.

Oblivious

One of the things I love about myself is that I can be completely oblivious. This can certainly be to my detriment but at the same time I can stop what I'm doing strike up a conversation with Micah Dash and not even realize I'm talking to one of the great climbers of modern times. I talked with Micah and his climbing buddy, who's name escapes me, about what great climbs we'd just been doing.

Turns out that my Squamish weekend was during the Mountain Festival and many of the greats were around this weekend. I had come up take pictures of just random climbers. It was good that I found my friends though as I forgot to charge my camera battery. Although, I suppose it would have been cool to take pictures of some of these great climbers. Instead I got sleepy morning people.

I didn't get my usual round of pictures. I was enjoying the time with my friends, and the climbing. I started my weekend off climbing pretty ambitious and lead a 5.9 on trad. I got a bit freaked at the crux, and let Jason finish it for me, but I lowered off my gear and did it on top rope. More projects to add to the list.

I have a place to stay when I visit Mexico though now. Rhi's friend and two daughters were up visiting and I got to join in on the climbing fun with them. Lalo is from Oaxaca and has graciously invited me to be a guest. I think given my desire to live out some of my dreams lately that I am going to find a way down there and make that happen.

Mexico. Yep, I better study up my español.

Finding Balance

I'm sitting in my office cube. It is Saturday and I am making up hours of work that I have missed over the last couple of weeks. As I try to get work accomplished for clients, put in my 40 hour work week, and get outside with friends I am finding that 24 hours is not enough. At least not if I want to sleep.

I'm sitting in my office working and listening to The Dirtbag Diaries. All this podcast does is make me want to run. Quit my job, find homes for the cats and dog, sell the car, and hop on my bike. Peddle my way to where ever it is I'm hoping to be...

When I was in high school and looking to go off to college, I couldn't get into any local colleges. I didn't have good SAT scores, and my grades were average, and my mom made too much money for me to be on Financial Aid. Being a student was never something I did well, so I was in no hurry to go back to school. I took about nine months off. I worked a full time job at an arcade store in the local mall, and I dreamed about hoping on my bike and heading east. Screw going west, I wanted something different.

I got on my bike and started to ride. Ten miles out I got scared. I didn't have any food, I didn't have much water, and my bike bags didn't even include a sleeping bag or a tent. I ended up at REI in Redmond. I went East just not very far. I guess technically I went North East. I shopped around REI and started my list. I needed a light weight tent, a good small bag, spare tires and tubes, a pump, bigger bags, a head lamp, bike lamp...hey how much is that helmet?

Yeah, back then we didn't wear a helmet when we rode, but I figured if I'm going to be on highways I better have something. My grandfather bought my first helmet, my Dad got me a seat bag. I dreamed about the bike bags. I dreamed about putting up a tent on the side roads and making myself a place to sleep. Oh, I need food? Hmmm, yeah, I'm going to need front and rear bike bags. Maybe a handle bar bag. I dreamed of where I would end up during the winter.

I figured I would take a job at a diner, or anywhere that would take me. I imagined that I would become part of this town in Somewhere America, and then one day early in the morning, it would still be cold, I would ride my bike out of town down the middle of the main street. I would have touched this town and broke its heart. The town would talk about that nice boy who rode his bike in looking all ragged and in need of a good scrubbing. They would talk about how it was strange how I wanted to talk to everyone and find out their story, but I cleaned up nicely.

My goal was to ride across the country. I wanted to see New England, Prince Edward Island. I intended to ride my bike south along the Atlantic coast. Spring break in Florida -- isn't that the dream? I would then work my way back west. Eventually, I would come home. I'd have a little bit of money left in my bank account because my savings would have remained untouched. I would know how to make an amazing drink, or cook a wonderful meal, maybe I would have a story to tell or two.

That was the dream. The reality was Clinton came into office and all the sudden I had the opportunity to go to college. I got my Associates, and followed that with my Bachelors. I found other interests to occupy my attention. The dream never died though. I have always dreamed of packing up the car, the dog, the wife, and just driving until I needed to sleep. I've done this a couple times. Coming back to work is never the same though. Each time I do get those glimpses of the dream I find it harder to live in the grind.

So where is the balance? I wonder now if there is a way to live life the way I dream it and in the world of salaried employment. Even my friends who seem to live life so vicariously seem bound by the system. They worry about where their head will lay each night, will they be able to afford rent, can they afford gas, food, and everything we all worry about day to day. Sure they could camp in the mountains, or beaches but it is a hard life. It feels good for a couple weeks, but eventually you want a shower, you need a shower. Clean clothes would be nice too. A warm meal that wasn't cooked on a camp stove. And even if you do stay out more than two weeks there are people in this world that actually count on you.

I think the time is fast approaching where I'm going to make my decision. My desire to see this world and enjoy it daily is bubbling over. I want to stop when I see something beautiful and just take it in. Etch it in my mind. I'm tired of having to be some place for someone else. I want to be any place, but that place needs to be of my choosing. At least for a little while.

First, I need to find that courage.