Rachael

The only problem with rock-climbing is that you can't take pictures of yourself or your partner while you're doing it, because if you could I SO WOULD. So that's just some random guy climbing, and only two-thirds of the wall is showing in that picture.

It was awesome, people. THE BEST.

We got there and it just looked ridiculous. People everywhere in the gym, crawling up insane inclines. I knew I wouldn't be able to do it, and I kinda wondered why we didn't just leave.

But our teacher hooked us up into our gear and taught us how to tie the knots, and then we started up our first wall. Of course, a birthday party of little girls was filling up the easy walls (what a great birthday party!), so our teacher took us to a hard wall. Okay, it was, if you know climbing, a 5.8. That's not HARD, I guess, but it was kick-ass hard for us. I pretty much fell off the first time only a few feet up, surprising both Lala, my belayer, and myself. Then Lala tried and got a little farther than I had.

After a couple more false starts, terrifyingly, our teacher snapped little cards onto our belts that said we were good to climb by ourselves and LEFT US THERE. (This was after she'd reinforced to us several times that if we tied the knot wrong, the climber WOULD DIE. It was no joke.)

We looked at each other. Ack.

We tied those knots and then double-checked them. Then we triple-checked them. Then we thought about running and getting the teacher to check, too, but we managed to stop ourselves.

Then I went up.

And up.

And up.

I kind of just kept climbing. I didn't look down — I just looked at the next handhold, and felt for the footholds. I know I was doing everything wrong, I'm sure, using my arms too much and my legs not enough, but I was going up.

From below me, I kept hearing Lala say "Wow." Then, "WOW!" And her voice kept getting farther away. And while her excitement was thrilling, finally I yelled down that maybe she shouldn't say Wow so much, since every time she yelled it, my heart froze in fear. But I kept going. I went almost to the top! Lala looked across to the staircase at the side of the gym, and she gauged I went up about three stories. DUDE.

Then I just got too scared. My muscles were fatigued and my hands were shaking. I had to stop. AND OH MY GOD I WAS SO HIGH UP! I was above the clouds! I felt an eagle flap by! Lala was just a tiny little orange mohawked speck, far below me on the earth's floor (okay, on the padded blue gym mat, but whatever).

AND I HAD TO LET GO AND TRUST THAT SHE HAD ME.

I am Type A. That was not easy for me. But I did it. I yelled, "Take!" and I let go of the rock wall. I swung in space. I think I screamed, but I'm not sure. Then she lowered me down.

It was amazing. Seriously, it was the best kind of scared I've ever been. 

We're hooked. Totally, completely hooked.

And what goes better with rock-climbing than happy hour at Sea Salt?

 

Oh, yeah. Five buck well drinks (including a very nice Manhattan) and dollar Miyagi oysters seated IN A BED OF SALT. How happy was I? So happy, I tell you.

Fun weekend.

Oh, y'all are so sweet. Thank you for the compliments. I love my glasses, too. And the bangs aren't bad.

But that sweater? I guess I thought you all would just believe me when I said it hung funny. Sure, from the front it's kind of okay. I like it from the front. And as Lala said, "When you're sitting, it looks fine, too."

But this is what it looks like from the back:

Oh, god. You see? How it drapes like a ball? It's decidedly weird and Not Good, and Feral Janine agrees with me, and I defer to her wisdom in all things knitted (and most other things, come to think of it).

I only post this because some people (I'm looking at you, Sil) said they were going to cast on for it. Think twice. Or add some shaping. A LOT of shaping.

Now, me? I've had the most lovely lie-in-bed morning, and I did not work. I will write some later — working on some edits for the first half of second book before I plunge into writing the rest of it — but I am not writing this morning. We're getting ready to eat eggs and sausage, and then we will be headed out to try rock-climbing at a local gym!

Rock-climbing is one of those things I've always thought would be fantastically fun. I am a realist, though, and know that I might get up on the rock and look down and think firmly, "Hell, no, never again." But I want to give it a shot.

I hope you try something new and fun this weekend! Let me know in comments what you're up to. xo

I have new things!

First, a new sweater.

It's the artistically named 110-23 sweater by DROPS. On the model, it looks like a lovely bell-shaped sweater. Bells work well on me in theory. I had high hopes.

But in practice, it is only rather meh. It is not bell-shaped; it is ball-shaped. It's an excellent writing-at-home sweater. I love that the yarn (Paton's Classic Merino) is soft enough to wear next to the skin, although I know it will inevitably pill awfully. I love the three wooden toggles I got at Lacis.

I love the detail at the yoke/neck:

But the rest, yeah, just okay. I wouldn't recommend the pattern, but if you're making it, you might as well finish. How's that for faint praise?

But do you notice the other thing up there? Besides the sweater?

Glasses!

They're for reading, working on the computer, watching TV, and driving, so really, they're for wearing all the time, since that's all I do. You know the weird thing? I can see better with them on! It keeps tripping me out! It's awesome! We went to a show last night at Yoshi's, Le Yeux Noirs (gypsy klezmer), and I could see all of them without straining. Eye strain is tiring, another thing I bet you didn't know. I didn't!

(I am a little embarrassed to admit they're Juicy Couture glasses. I am SO not a label girl, and in fact, I got them cheap at Costco.)

I had way too much fun with the Photo Booth on my computer.(Also — WHOOPS with the scissors. Those bangs are SHORT.)

Here's me wondering:

What I'm wondering is what movie I might go see today. Sure, it's supposed to be a pajama day, but in reality, I'm just going to try not to do anything I don't want to do. Like dishes. No dishes today! But Wii Fit, yes, definitely. And reading. And catching up on Friday Night Lights. And possibly a dumb movie, like Marley and Me, or something like that.

In knitting news, I've started this for Lala (Ravelry link). I think she'll like it. And she isn't a Rav member, so she can't see it! HaHA!

Quick question: This week, for the first time ever, coffee that's brewing smells exactly like tuna. It happens every morning, whether I'm at home or at work, and it catches me off guard each time. But coffee itself still tastes good. Any ideas what the hell that is? (No, not pregnant. Stop it.)

All right, darlings. January 23rd for the knit-in is right out, isn't it? No one can make it — there's a spinning group meeting, and the Knitters (!) are playing at Slims. Let's put it off until March, shall we? I know, it feels like a long time, but it will be here in a minute, and the BEST part is that Joy will be in town. We shall have a knit-party for her! I'll let you know what day's best for her.

So for now, no knit-in this month. More details to follow.

Today I've got to go fight with Home Depot, and I'm not looking forward to it. Our hot-water heater is leaking from the top where connections have become corroded. It's under warranty, but the warranty was bought in the name of the people in the house before us. The warranty people assure me that I now own the warranty, since GE backs up this particular water heater for ten years, regardless of who bought it. Home Depot does NOT understand this, and the GE warranty people say this is common. They say I have to go there and make the manager call their service line while I wait.

This is confrontation, and I don't like confrontation. It doesn't make me ill or anything, but I'd prefer to avoid it, which is why the poor water heater has been leaking for so long. However, at work the other day we had a structure fire that was caused by the water heater EXPLODING, so I figure I shouldn't put it off any more than I already have. Wish me luck in being pushy.

But then I get to go to Costco and pick up my new specs! Can't wait to show you pictures of Bookish Rachael!

In the meantime:

I don't usually let any of the animals touch my love-blanket (they have enough soft things of their own), but I couldn't move those snoozing boys.

Oh, it's been too long, hasn't it? Local friends, a knit-in?

When: Friday January 23rd, 7pm-11pm
Where: My house!

EDITED TO ADD: THIS HAS BEEN CANCELLED

This is a lovely three-day work week. And I just looked ahead in my calendar, and I was shocked to find that for my four days off, I have NOTHING planned except a concert (Le Yeux Noir at Yoshi's in the City) and yoga. There will be writing, of course. There is always writing. But that is natural and they still feel like days off.

You know what that means.

PAJAMA DAY. For real. Last week I managed to get a pajama day, but it was only because at first I was just too damn lazy to leave the house, and then I got stubborn. Even though I SHOULD have gone out to run errands, I just wouldn't. I dug my heels in and refused to leave the house — got all Cancerian in my woolen shell. So all day I was justifying staying inside, arguing with myself and losing.

Instead, I want to plan a day-long staycation. I want to have the whole day all blocked off. I want movies on the Tivo and food in the house. I want knitting that I don't have to think much about. I finished a sweater yesterday (cute, but strange shape) which I will show you soon, so now I have to cast on for something else. That requires thinking, and gauge-swatching (my typical 22 st/ 10 row minimal swatch that wouldn't even make a Barbie's cape), and I would like that over with by Pajama Day.

And I have decided. It will be Thursday! That is now officially my Day of Rest.

Maybe it will cure me of this eye twich that has been plaguing me since January 1st.

Now I'm going to eat an apple! With peanut butter!