Climbing and Emo Pansies
Yesterday started out with the very firm grip of Teh Tired, but ended with silliness, laughter, cake and noodly arms!
Drove up to MA yesterday morning late, but no matter. I went by a sports shop in town to see if I could find the Vibram FiveFingers shoes and possibly a new top for circus, but alas. The shop seems perilously empty *and* is having a 20% off Mother's Day Sale. I think they're really in the process of closing without saying they're closing. So. No shoes, no top. I'll probably look around online.
I might also have a look at another sports shop that's been recommended to me for climbing shoes. I met up with dancing_crow and family for the small daughter's climbing team family thing, and hooo boy! It's very hard work, but extremely satisfying. The wall is forty feet high and kinda scary looking. The first time I went up, I got about halfway and my brain decided that it was Very Bad You Must Go Back Now. But then Alice had me go back up a bit and sit in the harness so I'd learn to trust it and the rope and teach my brain that if I did let go, I absolutely wouldn't fall. Which totally worked. (I love that kid to bits - she's smarter than most adults I know.) So, I went back up and got all the way to the top. I climbed! And it was cool! Then I did it again, mostly to see if I could. It did get a little scary towards the top, but I just pushed that bit of brain off to the side focusing on the hand and foot holds and telling myself that Alice would never, ever drop me.
Turns out that Al has a much bigger problem with the idea of falling then I do. So, I went up a couple of times with him to keep him company and keep him talking. It was a good idea and sort of worked, but since this climbing thing requires a fair amount of concentration, I need to come up with some pre-packaged conversation topics that I don't need to think about too much. We both got to the top. A couple of times. It was good.
Alice also wanted me to try the bouldering area, but I thought I really couldn't do it. After several times going up the Easy! Beginner! Cake! wall, I thought my arms were going to fall off. They certainly had become pretty noodly. But, I waited for a bit and eventually did try - and it was fun, too! So, now I'm hooked and want to buy climbing shoes (for which the Vibrams might also work). This climbing thing is clearly the way to build upper body strength without actually trying to build upper body strength. In other words, it is Not Boring. Absolutely Not Boring. It's really difficult, which is a good thing, because I've found that if there's nothing to concentrate on, things get old fast.
So. This morning my arms are curiously not noodly but I suspect this evening might involve a little more noodliness. We shall see.
AND, I now have Emo Pansies! They're black and totally depressed-looking. I'm going to tease one out, put it in an appropriately emo pot and bring it to my office. She'll be Gloom E. DeSpair. I hope she lives. The rest will go in the garden somewhere - need to find a good spot. (Possibly near the Monkshood, a suitably poisonous plant with plenty of emo potential.) Then I might see if I can find a few black hollyhocks (they exist), because nothing says emo more than Misery & Company. The yellow and orange flowers can just go dream their beachbum dreams in the sun on the other side of the flower bed.
Today is bright and sunny and terribly windy (and kinda cold). I will try try try to do some gardening, go for a run and do my back exercises, go grocery shopping and drive back to CT in time for getting to bed at a reasonable hour.
Drove up to MA yesterday morning late, but no matter. I went by a sports shop in town to see if I could find the Vibram FiveFingers shoes and possibly a new top for circus, but alas. The shop seems perilously empty *and* is having a 20% off Mother's Day Sale. I think they're really in the process of closing without saying they're closing. So. No shoes, no top. I'll probably look around online.
I might also have a look at another sports shop that's been recommended to me for climbing shoes. I met up with dancing_crow and family for the small daughter's climbing team family thing, and hooo boy! It's very hard work, but extremely satisfying. The wall is forty feet high and kinda scary looking. The first time I went up, I got about halfway and my brain decided that it was Very Bad You Must Go Back Now. But then Alice had me go back up a bit and sit in the harness so I'd learn to trust it and the rope and teach my brain that if I did let go, I absolutely wouldn't fall. Which totally worked. (I love that kid to bits - she's smarter than most adults I know.) So, I went back up and got all the way to the top. I climbed! And it was cool! Then I did it again, mostly to see if I could. It did get a little scary towards the top, but I just pushed that bit of brain off to the side focusing on the hand and foot holds and telling myself that Alice would never, ever drop me.
Turns out that Al has a much bigger problem with the idea of falling then I do. So, I went up a couple of times with him to keep him company and keep him talking. It was a good idea and sort of worked, but since this climbing thing requires a fair amount of concentration, I need to come up with some pre-packaged conversation topics that I don't need to think about too much. We both got to the top. A couple of times. It was good.
Alice also wanted me to try the bouldering area, but I thought I really couldn't do it. After several times going up the Easy! Beginner! Cake! wall, I thought my arms were going to fall off. They certainly had become pretty noodly. But, I waited for a bit and eventually did try - and it was fun, too! So, now I'm hooked and want to buy climbing shoes (for which the Vibrams might also work). This climbing thing is clearly the way to build upper body strength without actually trying to build upper body strength. In other words, it is Not Boring. Absolutely Not Boring. It's really difficult, which is a good thing, because I've found that if there's nothing to concentrate on, things get old fast.
So. This morning my arms are curiously not noodly but I suspect this evening might involve a little more noodliness. We shall see.
AND, I now have Emo Pansies! They're black and totally depressed-looking. I'm going to tease one out, put it in an appropriately emo pot and bring it to my office. She'll be Gloom E. DeSpair. I hope she lives. The rest will go in the garden somewhere - need to find a good spot. (Possibly near the Monkshood, a suitably poisonous plant with plenty of emo potential.) Then I might see if I can find a few black hollyhocks (they exist), because nothing says emo more than Misery & Company. The yellow and orange flowers can just go dream their beachbum dreams in the sun on the other side of the flower bed.
Today is bright and sunny and terribly windy (and kinda cold). I will try try try to do some gardening, go for a run and do my back exercises, go grocery shopping and drive back to CT in time for getting to bed at a reasonable hour.