Determinism 101

Climbed-- i think--on tues. Good session, really. Cleaned up a bunch more problems from the comp, including a v4 that earned the grade. Still haven't gotten in to the irongym. Every time i get home and have the time, i'm too tired to go.

last transcript finally made it to caspa. Now it's a matter of waiting to see if they'll bother processing it fast enough. Amazing how much Tums it takes to wait and see if you'll accidentally have a career or not. Funny that it's come down to this. Story of my mutha fing life. Guess i should shut up and be thankful the transcript made it. Well if i get in, there'll be no question about whether maybe it had anything to do with my hard work or brilliance: it'll have had absolutely nothing to do with me.

Took my second a&p2 test today. Studied for this 'un. finished and thought i'd done really well on it, but i didn't. Bastard writes 'is tests on the stupidest bullshit trivia, you can have a high level of control over the material and it still comes down to guessing on half the questions. Every effin' question was double layered. So you can get an answer correct, but if you don't get all the correct answers you lose. Absolutely unnecessary. Absolute bullshit.

Right. Off to lab to daydream about what it'd be like to sleep ever.

Pics o' the trick new kicks

Admittedly, these could use some Photoshopping. The contrast is a tad low. Blanched pic (and ghastly ankles), notwithstanding, these puppadogs fit like ballet slippers. In fact, i can do en pointe in 'em. One can stand on literally anything. And the price was the best i've found.

They actually highlighted just how eight-ball-esque the La Sports had become: i didn't feel so much like i was wearing ice skates whilst climbing. But i am emotionally attached to m' Miuras, and Sport's XS Grip rubber does rock worlds when it's not polished to a glossy sheen. But it's been a while-e-o since i've had a pair of aggressive, down-cambered chisels on, and these things are made for edging. Tres cool. Also, (as you can sorta see from the pic) they're totally covered in rubber, so the bicycling/toe-hooking/heel-hooking capacity is just neato-bandito.

i hauled 'em to the Kettergym yestern for to run 'em through the rigors. i can't say i say i was up to the task of maxing out my machines, but i did send a swarthy fistful of v3s--and even (supposedly) a v4 (although i righteously downgraded it).

i almost definitely shouldn't have climbed, but i felt like moving. The night before, we went to the bro-in-law's, and inadvertantly got torn down. Six or 8 oz. of Scotch with a half-liter of Merlot, along with a 2:00am bedtime is no way to prepare for an athletic endeavor (unless you're, say, G) and i rightly came out of it with bilateral biceps tendonitis and, i think, gout. But it was another glimmer of hope. i was a hemisphere away from pulling with a full Vitality meter, but i still pulled acceptably. Now i need about a week off of climbing with just running and swimming my chunky arse into skinniness.

And a tiny prayer request. i reckon in the Grand Scheme it isn't that important, but i'm on the hairy, razor's edge in getting my app to caspa on time. i've submitted, but they're waiting on a transcript before they can process it. Once they get it, it'll still take at least 2 weeks to process. That'll put me in line for the last possible interview in the middle of november. If they still have slots left by then, i feel fairly confident i could be accepted, but it seems (from this perspective) pretty iffy that they'll get it processed in time. i'm a tad nervous.

Light in the tunnel

i guess what i meant to say is that today i'll send the Miuras Boulderward. Yesterday i got roped into climbing again with a friend; only it turned out to be a good session. That is, i was nowhere near 100%, but i felt--i dunno--normal. Ish. i went in, felt a li'l tired, a li'l sluggish, deinitely a li'l chunky; but i felt normally tired, sluggish, and fat. It was a hopeful feeling. i climbed prob'ly a few 3s and a 4--cleaned up some stuff i should'a' walked at the comp. But it was so totally different than the last several days've been (including at the comp) that it was like i had a different body. i mean, it really makes me wonder if i've been sick, and just didn't have the ostensible symptoms. At any rate, it's kindof an exciting feeling to think that i'm not just suddenly over the hill, but that i might actually recover and feel strong again in the nearish future.

Dude. i was ripping off o' holds at that comp that... if you can comfortably wrap your chin over a hold, you ought'a be able to hang from it in my opinion.

The new shoes supposedly shipped yesterday. Happy am i.

These three remain: Off-Days, Nutriment, and Sleep; but the greatest of these is...

i climbed yesterday. That is to say, i was physically present at the gym, and made multiple series of climbing-like movements. i really went in to size a new pair of the Optimus Prime i won in the comp raffle. i gotta order 'em online, and i didn't want to take a guess. Turns out a hair small and they'd fit neatly into any international treaty's definitions for torture. Sick shoe though. we'll see if i dialed 'em right. The climbing, though, was abysmal.

Clumb again today 'cuz it was convenient and i had a sec to kill. i think i lasted ten or 15 minutes before i left in disgust. i am not healing. i can't seem to sleep. i always think i don't sleep well--until i go through a real spell of deprivation. Then i start sensing what hell might feel like. i do think i'm gunna go ahead and take this opportunity to send my Miuras to Boulder for a resole. That'll at least keep me from climing for a week or so, even if it doesn't help me sleep.

At any rate, the weather's perfect, and i think you should come up here for to partake in a weekend of it.

Yank 'n' Yard '09

From a personal, critic-level perspective, i guess i'd have to go with two out of four stars for ye olde comp. i can level very little of my criticism on the gym, because, as usual they did a fantastic job of production and routesetting. But i had one putrid day of climbing. It did, however, assume a positive slope as the day progressed.

The format was a bit different this year. For the last few years it's been an ABS sanctioned event; but this year they also had a $3,000 purse for the top 3 in men's and women's, and another $3,000 or so worth of "raffle" prizes. Also they added a sick roof on the upstairs boulder cave in time for the comp. Heck, they even roped in Timmy Fairfield to routeset. All this resulted in about 200 people showing up-- around twice as many as last year. This (and a d.j. who couldn't find the volume knob) led to my snarling consternation.* There were way too many humans in that gym. They did have the sense to stagger (with only an hour of overlap) the open division and the age-groupers; but even so--- The morning session was two hours long. The goal was to do as many climbs as you could, and tally your top eight scores. In two hours i had done two (2) climbs, and had managed exactly eight burns. Sometimes you'd spend 15+ minutes waiting in line to get a second try on a climb. There were so many people that in order to give climbers room to fall and swing, the rest would have to squeeze back like sardines to the background. i mean, you couldn't even get a good look at the moves on your proj whilst waiting. Flippin' nuts. And to really grind in the irritation, Jazzy Jeff kept Welcome to the Jungle cranked to mosh-pit magnitude, such that you'd have to cup your hands into an ear horn and lean forward to hear the judge call your name.

i left after the first round to take a lab mid-term, and i almost didn't go back for the second round. But i was glad i did. The morning's nerves had worn away, and not having slept for the antecedent decade had once again stopped affecting my timing, and i started climbing like i thought i should. And that's saying something about my level of frustration, 'cuz i started with really low expectations. But i let go of the notion of working hard problems, and made it my goal to just have fun and snag eight. Turned out to be a fine strategy. my torn oblique continued to plague me through the day, but the second half felt more relaxed somehow. Probably some people had left, i found a way to avoid the decibels, and i found a mellow group to work some stuff with. Ended up getting exactly eight climbs, and 3rd place in the 30-39 age group--which is funny because i'm pretty positive i didn't climb anything harder than v2. Oh, and i also won a pair of climbing shoes (which i happened to need quite badly).

i do wish i'd climbed better and felt better, but i can't complain about the shwag haul.


*O.K.--and the fact that i fell repeatedly off of stuff that should have been light warmups.

i really mean it this time...

No more climbing 'til saturday! NO, i say!

i think i've been in every day this week. Yesterday i signed up for the comp, so, fortunately, i was not allowed to go in today. Got a good toproping session in yesterday though. i wasn't gonna go in unless i found someone to rope up with, cuz i wanted to keep 'er light and easy. Ended up flashing a 9, then an 11-, fell off a 12- a couple of times (but i think i could'a' sent if my abs weren't mutinying against me), gave up on that, lowered and up and down climbed an 8+, then flashed another 10+ (which i downgraded to a 9), then flashed another 10 beside it. Felt like a monster, except i had to climb really tight and static and smooth to appease the Ab Gremlin. If i could get a session like that in even every couple of weeks, i'd be pow'rful strong, and have huge, sexy water-hose-like veins bulging outta my forearms. i probably won't be climbing at 100 por ciento at el comp, but i wouldn't be anyhow with the tweaky oblique, so the self-flagellation will be light. i'm serious about maintaining the attitude that i'm in it for a new teeshirt and a coldbeer at the end.

Speaking of which, i haven't precisely quit drinking altogether either; but i have negotiated it down to one drink the night, which probably isn't doing too much damage. Mostly i wish i could get a really good night of sleep tonight and tomorrow. That'd be some empyrean ambrosia. i do wish you'uns could be here. Should be a fun weekend. Maybe in the next few weekends, yes?

march to midterms

i'm gonna try to lay off the climbing till sat. climbed today. Hands felt pretty strong. If my abdominal wall will heal, i should be recouped enough to at least feel justified spending the money on the comp. i'm going to try to stay with some very light stimulation--maybe running or swimming if i can swing it--and nothing else. i haven't been drinking all that much, but i'm gonna try to lay off of that too. And if i can string together enough v8s, i might just win the $1,000 purse. (Or more realistically, if i can just not leave in an ambulance i might score another "The Women of Climbing" calendar). i'd be pleased as punch to score a crash pad or a set of draws.

So. About you people coming up here in the moderately near future...

Milking the Muses

Thought i'd effuse a bit, as i'm not in the mood to go to bed just yet. Some prayer requests first. Looming largest: the boy seems determined to escape from Womblandia asap, which at this juncture would be devestating to his health. Steph's been having some mad and occasionally frequent contractions, and the li'l dude's languishing somewhere around her pelvic bowl. She's (actually, make that: we're) a little worried about her having to go on bed rest for the remaining two or so months. Besides the fact that we'd be absolutely bankrupt, there's just is no way really of painting the possibility of lying in bed for 12 weeks in a happy light. She's gonna try to get one of those pregnancy belts to relieve some pressure, but we're both a tad nervous presently.

Next, i'm getting a bit concerned about my chances of getting my pa app submitted in time. That's all i'll say about that, but it's got me bummed. i'd appreciate yer prayers.

On a totally meaningless note by comparison, i'd planned to switch labs for next saturday so's i could spend the day at m' bouldering comp; only it turns out i've got my lab midterm next saturday exactly during the finals round. It probably works out as a blessing, 'cuz my oblique is still in a bad way, and maybe it'll keep me from hurting myself. At any rate, i might score me a new tee shirt, and maybe a sweet raffle prize. i really want to go outside and do some climbing, and some under-the-sky sleeping, and some non-electronic-people chatting. i nominate you as coworkers in this endeavor.

Back on [a] track

Yesterday was a good day. First, we found out we're having a boy (Thank You, God!), and that he's healthy looking as far as ultrasound can discern. It's nice to occasionally get something right, even if it doesn't have anything at all to do with me. And that's not to say that girls are bad either; i'm very fond of my chickies. Only there'd have been a great disturbance in the cosmic reticulum with that sort of estrogen buildup in our li'l house.

Then i went climbing for a few minutes. Goal was to take 'er easy, and see if any knitting had occurred in ye olde abdominal peritoneum, or if i'd really rent it asunder as i'd first expected. Also i wanted to see if my forearm wussiness goes deep, or if this tiredness is just on a fine-motor-skills level. And if i don't start doing something active i'm gonna be so fat soon that it won't matter if i do heal.

The problem was that they'd finially finished the upstairs bouldering roof-- so now there's a fully inverted roof to hack through for us boulderers who've no one to rope up with. Full 12 or 14" deep crash floor, so you could fall flat on yer back from the ceiling and break no vertebrae. The draw was irresistable. So i giiiingerly got on a v1, but dropped cuz i didn't trust my structural integrity. But there was little pain. i did ten pullups, and there was little pain. Then i nearly sent a reachy, stretchy v4 roof problem on the 10th-ish try (which i would'a' flashed if i weren't scared for my guts spilling onto the glossy new matt), and there was little pain. i remained a bit afraid of doing the last move, which was a footless, core-intensive dyno, because i had vivid visions of a Monty Python-esque evacuation of my visceral gelatine.

Then i went down to the lower cave on my way out the door, and thought i'd see if the v1 i hurt myself on last week was still so intimidating. Turns out it was, and i'd really not like to be on that climb anymore. So i'm definitely not back to 90%, and my forearms are still inexplicably weak and sore from whatever sickness i contracted--i burned down fast, but i've high hopes that i'll be close to form for the 17th. i couldn use a good day of it at the comp. Or i'd at least like to feel good enough to spend the money and score a t-shirt. i still think you'uns should road trip up here for it.

Cain't touch this

Captain's log, stardate 2009.

Wed. morning i woke absolutely positive i had a blood clot in my right brachial artery. Felt like i had a deep bruise in my right bicep, but i hadn't been hit or anything. Then the area got hot to the touch and the skin around was splotchy pink. Then my hand got ice cold. Then it seemed to move down and my wrist turned pink and sorta swelled, and i couldn't really bend it. i called for a doc appt., but couldn't get in 'til today, so i tried an after-hours clinic, and they told me my insurance had expired. So i just popped a largish handful of aspirin. Then the next day (yesterday) i woke up and all my muscles hurt. Later on i got feverish, but all day i just felt weak and generally in pain. Fortunately it was my longest day of school.

i ended up going home, popping yet another handful of aspirin ('cuz i had a nice toasty fever, and was shivering so hard i thought i was gonna puke), and going to bed at around 7:30. Woke up this morning at 8:30. i slept for 13 hours. If it's been a while since you've slept for 13 hours, let me recommend it. But i woke up every few hours drenched in sweat. At some point i had to put a towel down on the bed cuz i was floating, which made me shiver again. Anyhow, i went ot the doc today, and he said it all sounded like a viral infection of some sort. Bad times really, only he did say it didn't sound like H1N1. That's comforting. And i think i'm on the upswing.

i'm just hoping i'm back to near 100% for the 17th. You guys need to come up for the Yank 'n' Yard. With three of us vying for schwag, there'd be a fine chance one of us'd score a crash pad or a rope or something.