Three days ago I went up to Rocky Mountain National Park to boulder. It was a hilarious day. My friends Kel, Cary and I hiked in at an incredible pace, which I set. We must have set a record. I reasoned that getting to the boulders faster would mean more time to climb. But really I just lost all of my energy and got a mindboggling headache. Our first destination was Tommy's Arete (the climber is my friend Cameron. I just found this pciture on google, rad), and by the time we got there and took our pads off I didn't even want to climb, since my brain felt like an overinflated balloon. After what was probably a half hour of wastefulness (drinking water, eating goldfish and complaining to others about the pace I had set), I got psyched. Ryan Young, Eccentric Rock Climber and Math/Physics Major, started advertizing the funky ass-dab variations to the arete, which climb around onto the rock's face about halfway through the original climb. The first, likely already climbed and named by some unknown soul, was fashioned Lunch Box by us; a name inspired, I think, by the tendency for one to eat lunch at this particular spot, and also by Ryan's camera case, which could be one of three things: a damage-resistant camera case, a lunch box, or an IED. Lunch Box is a reasonable climb. There is another boulder kind of behind it, with mid-range dab potential, but it's avoidable. But then we noticed another variation that ended even further right. I don't think many boulders have seen first ascents just for the sake of laughter, but this was one of them. Lunch Money. This is such an ILL boulder that the use of a crash pad is impossible, since you'd be sitting on it for the last part of the climb. Proud!
On Sunday I did nothing. Rest, porch, sunshine, rain, sam adams, and then - for some reason - beer pong.
On Monday I tried to rock climb, at the gym. It did not go well, since the alcohol cloud in my head had not yet precipitated. Then I went to work, busing tables at L'atelier, whixh was sweaty and uneventful. Check it out if you want delicious buttery French food, and don't mind dishing out bills.
Today was a beautiful day spent with Liz, my lovely girlfriend, complete with climbing, dinner, and wine. A perfect day, to say the least.
One last thing, listen to Tell It Like You Mean It by Quantic for a dance. BONOBO coming up soon at the Fox, I may have to go.
And congratulations to my friend Kevin who is crushing the newness in South Africa, good lord.
Peace

HAPPY 233RD BIRTHDAY, GIRL

Happy 4th of July reader(s)! It is a beautifully overcast, cool day in Boulder. It will rain no doubt, because it always does, but I've learned that rain = green in dry-as-hell Colorado. This is what the land needs, as anyone around here who thinks they intimately know the climate patterns will tell you, since Colorado has been moping through a drought the last untold number of years. Looks like climate change is changing back? Who would actually know (besides, obviously, all the blessedly knowledgeable residents of this fine community)?
But anyway, where I was actually going with this was: go outside and play anyway. Even if that means drinking beer and grilling bratwursts on a porch somewhere, like I. Speaking of which, the party is arriving at my house now. Happy 4th, be safe. Actually, be dangerous.

Shift

Continuing the strange and sudden burst of house cleaning I just experienced, I signed on to my blog and deleted EVERYTHING. At first I wanted to delete the blog entirely, but after a fruitless search to discover exactly how to do this (Blogger is smart, it does not allow its own termination), I decided to just clear it out. Although I've said this before and to no avail, I now plan to post regularly. And, I hope, on interesting subjects. Like climbing, Front Range stuff, maybe some poetry that I deem worthy of public scrutiny, and other vague topics. Oh and I'm beginning an internship with elephant journal, and online publication that encourages living smartly, peacefully, and within one's means. No, it is not a neo-hippy organization, it is legitimate. So check it out, it's pretty cool. I'll be mostly editing the pieces written by the staff and external contributors, which is a scrumptious opportunity considering my career ambitions. I'll also be blogging a bit, so HELP ME SUCCEED and look out for my work.

That's it for now. But first:
Colorado is the least fat state! I alone probably dip the state average.
Peace