Hard Reset: Day Four (or: Climbing by Comittee)

It was a good day for my climbing- my boss let me go a half hour early, so I showed up at the gym at 3:35, and who should walk in five minutes later but my climbing buddy KB, who hadn't initially planned on climbing today but had changed his mind at the last minute.  Which meant I had a partner, which meant I got in plenty of routes.  KB is really good at coaching, which I personally find very helpful, and when our other (new) climbing friend G showed up we invited her into our group so she wouldn't be stuck on the auto belay the whole time.  Anyway, KB challenged me to try a 5.11-, and so I did.  I knew I'd made the right decision, when, as I was tying in, my most favorite song in the world came on (which, coincidentally, is how I know approximately how long it took me to finish the climb).  I fell off the wall a few times on the first move, but eventually I managed to slooooowly work my way up, and I was super grateful that KB, G, and Crystal (one of the workers) were giving me directions as I went.  I most definitely wouldn't have made it if not for them.  As it was I think I took one fall and one take (after the initial getting-on-the-wall shenanigans), but by golly I did it.  So yay for me.  I can't wait to try it again, this time with the goal of not taking any falls.

Tonight we decided to be lazy and eat leftovers rather than make the Czech meatballs the meal plan called for (we'll eat them tomorrow!), and then we both settled in for some algebra-refreshers.  Nathan's decided to go back to school, you see, and wants to brush back up on his math skills before applying.  Which means that every few minutes I am treated to an excited ramble about how awesome math is, along with an example of whatever new equation he's remembered how to solve.

(Actually I'm super excited about him going back to school, and super excited he's so enthusiastic about math.  We were both a little worried that maybe his brain had over-thirty-and-out-of-school-for-ten-years atrophy.)

And now here is a sketch of my kitty Kink, for whom I will be celebrating an eleventh birthday next Tuesday: