Still Catching Up: The Rest of July '08
Maybe I should backdate these.
Anyhow, after OTP and Origins, life started to return to its normal grind. The next weekend, I met someone new, who I'd been playing phone tag for a bit. There was a little more phone tag afterward, mostly involving her dodging me. I saw her again at Arisia, but she didn't dign to notice me, which establishes my position as a one-afternoon-stand for her.
The week after that, serenarayn, her sister (who may have an lj, but I don't know it), and I, went to go see The Dark Knight. I was rather pleased with the movie. I have always been a Heath Ledger hater, and I've never felt bad about it. I will always believe A Knight's Tale was crap. But, while I can't say how much of his Joker was his own devising, and how much was what the Nolan's wrote, and what Chris Nolan directed, I do think it was one of the best incarnations of the Joker to be brought to any screen. (And, at this point, how many have there been? I can think of three offhand.)
The weekend after that, I walked to Wellsley for the first time. It reminded me much of Needham... full of affluent folks and golf courses. I caught a train out to Worcester, and met up with serenarayn. We went by her place, where her cat developed an impressive desire for my shoes.
Then, serenarayn and I headed to Purgatory Chasm. Other than long walks by myself, I haven't really done anything outdoors-y since I moved up here. I could tell I'd missed it.
Near the front of Purgatory, there is a decent sized boulder that sort of demarcates the start of there being a higher and lower path. Scrambling around on it in my sandals, I had a period of a minute or two across a gap where I had to play the head game, convincing myself that no, I really could cross it, I wouldn't fall, as long as I committed to it. And, eventually, I managed to convince myself, I made the step, and I was off. From then on, the whole trail was a process of walking a short distance, finding a face that I felt I could climb to the top, walking a short distance, finding a face I could climb down, and repeating. It felt really, really good.
The front entrance, complete with plaque.
A good example of a scramble-able part of the trail.
A more boulder-y than scramble-y part of the walls.
Apparently, not all trees know which way is up.
One of the problems I had taking pictures in and around the Chasm was finding things that properly scaled the scene. When it was just plant life and rocks, it became extremely difficult to give any sense of how high up I was. So other trail-walkers became useful photographic tools.
This tree was made of awesome.
serenarayn can fit through spots I cannot. :-)
I can't remember if I went up or came down that face.
That was one almost certainly an up and not a down.
The much more scramble-y bottom of the trail. The sides are way more fun!
serenarayn accorded herself well.
In case anyone was unaware of what a secreter I was.
An example of the poor quality my camera gets when we use the fake zoom it has.
Note to Self: you, like most of humanity, look less fat when shot from below.
Anyhow, after OTP and Origins, life started to return to its normal grind. The next weekend, I met someone new, who I'd been playing phone tag for a bit. There was a little more phone tag afterward, mostly involving her dodging me. I saw her again at Arisia, but she didn't dign to notice me, which establishes my position as a one-afternoon-stand for her.
The week after that, serenarayn, her sister (who may have an lj, but I don't know it), and I, went to go see The Dark Knight. I was rather pleased with the movie. I have always been a Heath Ledger hater, and I've never felt bad about it. I will always believe A Knight's Tale was crap. But, while I can't say how much of his Joker was his own devising, and how much was what the Nolan's wrote, and what Chris Nolan directed, I do think it was one of the best incarnations of the Joker to be brought to any screen. (And, at this point, how many have there been? I can think of three offhand.)
The weekend after that, I walked to Wellsley for the first time. It reminded me much of Needham... full of affluent folks and golf courses. I caught a train out to Worcester, and met up with serenarayn. We went by her place, where her cat developed an impressive desire for my shoes.
Then, serenarayn and I headed to Purgatory Chasm. Other than long walks by myself, I haven't really done anything outdoors-y since I moved up here. I could tell I'd missed it.
Near the front of Purgatory, there is a decent sized boulder that sort of demarcates the start of there being a higher and lower path. Scrambling around on it in my sandals, I had a period of a minute or two across a gap where I had to play the head game, convincing myself that no, I really could cross it, I wouldn't fall, as long as I committed to it. And, eventually, I managed to convince myself, I made the step, and I was off. From then on, the whole trail was a process of walking a short distance, finding a face that I felt I could climb to the top, walking a short distance, finding a face I could climb down, and repeating. It felt really, really good.
The front entrance, complete with plaque.
A good example of a scramble-able part of the trail.
A more boulder-y than scramble-y part of the walls.
Apparently, not all trees know which way is up.
One of the problems I had taking pictures in and around the Chasm was finding things that properly scaled the scene. When it was just plant life and rocks, it became extremely difficult to give any sense of how high up I was. So other trail-walkers became useful photographic tools.
This tree was made of awesome.
serenarayn can fit through spots I cannot. :-)
I can't remember if I went up or came down that face.
That was one almost certainly an up and not a down.
The much more scramble-y bottom of the trail. The sides are way more fun!
serenarayn accorded herself well.
In case anyone was unaware of what a secreter I was.
An example of the poor quality my camera gets when we use the fake zoom it has.
Note to Self: you, like most of humanity, look less fat when shot from below.