Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Update #10
Ok, so since Saturday I haven't been up to much. Sunday I slept into 1:00 ish and didn't really get out of bed till like 1:30. it was great after the tiring 2 days before it. Sunday i spent about 6 hours reading and doing some hw. Then today I had class and work from 9:30-5:00. after that I had to do a physics lab that took me about 2 hours. then after that I don't really know what I've been up to... made some dinner, went up stairs and hung out with people and watched the Daily Show and Colbert Report. I prob wont be doing much until thursday my sun-weds aren't the greatest lots of class, homework, and work.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Update #9
Okay so since the last update here is what I've been up to. And sorry for the novel in advance
Looking back at this I notice a bunch of climbing terms and here is what they mean. routes are the different planned paths on the wall that are there to challenge climbers. they have different difficulties and that is what the numbers like 5.8 and 5.9 and stuff mean (it is said like "five-eight" or "five-nine") the higher the decimal number the harder it is. 5.5 is the lowest I've seen and 5.11 is the hardest that I know of at petra (where I climb) but they go up to 5.15 i think. bouldering is like climbing but you stay close to the ground and don't use ropes. these routes are shorter but more can be more difficult and a great way to get more advanced techniques down. ATC climbing is just a different belaying device (the other ropes have self locking belaying things called gri gri). I think that is it post questions if you have them.
After that I went to class. Class was okay, we watched part of a documentary and talked about capitalism. Then right after I went home and got ready to climb. It was the first climb as the Champlain Rock Climbing club. it was pretty fun. There were 11 of us there and even though I went climbing earlier that day I did pretty good. At first my stomach was killing because I ate 2 things of easy mac in like 8 min before leaving... never doing that again. but after like 20/30 min I was fine. so since earlier that day I had been bouldering I hadn't noticed a bunch of changes that had been put in. there was a new route and rope for ATC climb which is good because there aren't a bunch of ATC climbing ropes up right now. They had removed a pretty fun 5.8 that was made up of a bunch of different holds and I liked it. they put in a new 5.7 in its place. they also changed one of my favorite routes from a 5.8 to a 5.9 by taking off a bunch of holds. but I tried it anyway and was still able to do it. that was my first 5.9 that I have done at Petra cliff so I was really happy. then later our club adivso Sue came up to me and said "I have a challenge for you". (Sue is a great adviser she is very good at helping people climb routes and giving them beta and motivation as they go. She has been climbing for something like 6 years. She will always push people to challenge themselves on routes she thinks is at their level of difficult or just thinks you would have fun climbing and since she is there she will help you along the route that she tells you about.). she asks If I want to do this 5.9 route that I had yet to get up although I had tried several times. The last time she went I had tried this and she was helping me through it but I just couldn't get up it. now she asked me this was after I had been doing a bunch of climbing already but I was up for it. I went to it and made my way up and was at the point where all I had to do was reach for the last hold. but my arms were so tired I just couldn't. I reach and can't hold it and fall. I hang there for a bit and Sue is encouraging me to get back on where I fell and just finish it. so I did and was able to finish it and it felt great. even though i didn't technically finish the route in one try I made it to the top and was very happy. After this most people started to head home and me and some other guys stayed and bouldered a bit. I was able to get this really hard jump from a heel hold which made me really happy.
Then after that I went home. The next morning (today) I woke up at like 7:00 to help out my friend who was sick. I did that until noon then went to a group meeting for my web interface and design class. did that until about 2:45 finished up what I was doing and then got a call from my friend asking me to bring them to the doctor. I was there until maybe 7:00 ish i don't really remember. then ordered some food cuz i was tired and played some heroes of might and magic on the computer with my friend Justin.
As you might have noticed I didn't end up snow boarding like i said i would in the last update. we had to change plans yesterday so we couldn't do it today.
This is me bouldering
This is that heel hold i talked about in the last blog. (my right foot) the next hold is just out of the frame on the top its to the left of the hold with the pink tape pointing to it.
same as above different angle
Looking back at this I notice a bunch of climbing terms and here is what they mean. routes are the different planned paths on the wall that are there to challenge climbers. they have different difficulties and that is what the numbers like 5.8 and 5.9 and stuff mean (it is said like "five-eight" or "five-nine") the higher the decimal number the harder it is. 5.5 is the lowest I've seen and 5.11 is the hardest that I know of at petra (where I climb) but they go up to 5.15 i think. bouldering is like climbing but you stay close to the ground and don't use ropes. these routes are shorter but more can be more difficult and a great way to get more advanced techniques down. ATC climbing is just a different belaying device (the other ropes have self locking belaying things called gri gri). I think that is it post questions if you have them.
After that I went to class. Class was okay, we watched part of a documentary and talked about capitalism. Then right after I went home and got ready to climb. It was the first climb as the Champlain Rock Climbing club. it was pretty fun. There were 11 of us there and even though I went climbing earlier that day I did pretty good. At first my stomach was killing because I ate 2 things of easy mac in like 8 min before leaving... never doing that again. but after like 20/30 min I was fine. so since earlier that day I had been bouldering I hadn't noticed a bunch of changes that had been put in. there was a new route and rope for ATC climb which is good because there aren't a bunch of ATC climbing ropes up right now. They had removed a pretty fun 5.8 that was made up of a bunch of different holds and I liked it. they put in a new 5.7 in its place. they also changed one of my favorite routes from a 5.8 to a 5.9 by taking off a bunch of holds. but I tried it anyway and was still able to do it. that was my first 5.9 that I have done at Petra cliff so I was really happy. then later our club adivso Sue came up to me and said "I have a challenge for you". (Sue is a great adviser she is very good at helping people climb routes and giving them beta and motivation as they go. She has been climbing for something like 6 years. She will always push people to challenge themselves on routes she thinks is at their level of difficult or just thinks you would have fun climbing and since she is there she will help you along the route that she tells you about.). she asks If I want to do this 5.9 route that I had yet to get up although I had tried several times. The last time she went I had tried this and she was helping me through it but I just couldn't get up it. now she asked me this was after I had been doing a bunch of climbing already but I was up for it. I went to it and made my way up and was at the point where all I had to do was reach for the last hold. but my arms were so tired I just couldn't. I reach and can't hold it and fall. I hang there for a bit and Sue is encouraging me to get back on where I fell and just finish it. so I did and was able to finish it and it felt great. even though i didn't technically finish the route in one try I made it to the top and was very happy. After this most people started to head home and me and some other guys stayed and bouldered a bit. I was able to get this really hard jump from a heel hold which made me really happy.
Then after that I went home. The next morning (today) I woke up at like 7:00 to help out my friend who was sick. I did that until noon then went to a group meeting for my web interface and design class. did that until about 2:45 finished up what I was doing and then got a call from my friend asking me to bring them to the doctor. I was there until maybe 7:00 ish i don't really remember. then ordered some food cuz i was tired and played some heroes of might and magic on the computer with my friend Justin.
As you might have noticed I didn't end up snow boarding like i said i would in the last update. we had to change plans yesterday so we couldn't do it today.
This is me bouldering
This is that heel hold i talked about in the last blog. (my right foot) the next hold is just out of the frame on the top its to the left of the hold with the pink tape pointing to it.
same as above different angle
Friday, January 23, 2009
Update #8
Okay so since my last post I've been busy I guess.
I did in fact watch wanted yesterday with some friends as I said I would. I would say to someone who is going to watch it to just suspend your belief in anything scientific and reality. Once you do that this movie is so pretty good. Car cases, guns, and a plot that sounds funny when you think about but then you realize you suspended your belief in reality and its kinda cool. I would say 4 out of 5.
After that I played some Rock band which is nothing new. went through a bunch of songs. Then when people left for dinner I had nothing to do. I had a late lunch so I decide to play Portal for the first time ever. I got the Orange Box for like 20 bucks and since its 3 games in one I figured it was worth the money. I played through the whole thing. I haven't done any challenges only the main game.I had really high expectations for this game due to the hype that there was about it when it came out. It was fun and a very original take on the puzzle genre. there was only one spot where i had really no clue what to do so it is not extremely difficult in that aspect. now again I haven't tried any of the challenges yet so those may be harder. over all I would give this game so far 3 out of 5.
after that I just hung out with people til like 12:45 which was a bad idea because I was planning on getting up at 7:00 the next morning. now why would I do that on a Friday when I don't have class until 3:30? well I went bouldering (like climbing but you stay close to the ground and don't use ropes. these routes are shorter but quicker and a great way to get more advanced techiques down) with my friend. We took the 7:55 bus and went to Petra. Surprisingly this was the first time I have used the public transportation buses up here. but in short I now know how to get to the climbing place from where I live using the bus. while I was there I was origonally going to work a route I hadn't finished yet that looked really fun, I think its a V2. but then my friend Kieth showed me the route he was working on, a V3. He was trying to get it down and hadn't figured it out yet. He has been going a lot lately and buldering a bunch and has done a bunch of the routes they have there and was now focused on completeing this one. We both tried it for a while and had an idea of how to get it done. we could do the first half easily but then we had to transfer to a different wall at an incline then go up past it to the more vertical part. we ended up getting it after a while by using a heel hold. When I was watching him do it I was thinking wow that looks cool. it was a fun route... I never actually went back to the route I had started on that day. my hands were killing (and still are) and I'm going back to climb tonight and wanted to be able climb a bit before my hands gave out.
waking up so early makes the days go by much slower. they are so long. I feel like its the weekend but have to leave for class at 2:00. things are going good. and as I type this I am making plans to go snowboarding tomorrow. this is a good start to a semester. Okay its time for me to eat...
I did in fact watch wanted yesterday with some friends as I said I would. I would say to someone who is going to watch it to just suspend your belief in anything scientific and reality. Once you do that this movie is so pretty good. Car cases, guns, and a plot that sounds funny when you think about but then you realize you suspended your belief in reality and its kinda cool. I would say 4 out of 5.
After that I played some Rock band which is nothing new. went through a bunch of songs. Then when people left for dinner I had nothing to do. I had a late lunch so I decide to play Portal for the first time ever. I got the Orange Box for like 20 bucks and since its 3 games in one I figured it was worth the money. I played through the whole thing. I haven't done any challenges only the main game.I had really high expectations for this game due to the hype that there was about it when it came out. It was fun and a very original take on the puzzle genre. there was only one spot where i had really no clue what to do so it is not extremely difficult in that aspect. now again I haven't tried any of the challenges yet so those may be harder. over all I would give this game so far 3 out of 5.
after that I just hung out with people til like 12:45 which was a bad idea because I was planning on getting up at 7:00 the next morning. now why would I do that on a Friday when I don't have class until 3:30? well I went bouldering (like climbing but you stay close to the ground and don't use ropes. these routes are shorter but quicker and a great way to get more advanced techiques down) with my friend. We took the 7:55 bus and went to Petra. Surprisingly this was the first time I have used the public transportation buses up here. but in short I now know how to get to the climbing place from where I live using the bus. while I was there I was origonally going to work a route I hadn't finished yet that looked really fun, I think its a V2. but then my friend Kieth showed me the route he was working on, a V3. He was trying to get it down and hadn't figured it out yet. He has been going a lot lately and buldering a bunch and has done a bunch of the routes they have there and was now focused on completeing this one. We both tried it for a while and had an idea of how to get it done. we could do the first half easily but then we had to transfer to a different wall at an incline then go up past it to the more vertical part. we ended up getting it after a while by using a heel hold. When I was watching him do it I was thinking wow that looks cool. it was a fun route... I never actually went back to the route I had started on that day. my hands were killing (and still are) and I'm going back to climb tonight and wanted to be able climb a bit before my hands gave out.
waking up so early makes the days go by much slower. they are so long. I feel like its the weekend but have to leave for class at 2:00. things are going good. and as I type this I am making plans to go snowboarding tomorrow. this is a good start to a semester. Okay its time for me to eat...
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Update #7
Ok, So today started out bad but within 20 minutes got so much better. I wake up and look at my watch and realize that I have overslept and I needed to go catch the bus to campus in 20 minutes. Normally I wake up at 9:00 for my 11:00 classes because the buses are not always reliable. so in case one doesn't show up I make sure, as well as a bunch of others, to get down and wait for a bus at 10:15. the bus is supposed to be there around 10:20 but like i said they are unreliable and can be early, late, or not even show up in the first place. so I get up at 9;00 shower eat and then get ready. Today as I wake up and run to the shower I am not really worried about missing class. I know there is another bus after I could catch and show up just in time. or if it is late a bit late for class. I get out of the shower and change then go to put in my contacts. As I do this my roommate informs me that he thinks my physics class is canceled today. This is great because Not only do I have physics class but I also have the lab today so in effect 2 classes where canceled. It was great 4 hours of my day were freed up. I still had to go to my 11:00 class though and I was on time.
I put them to good use. I see class cancellations as like a gift and always try to be productive in the times i would have been in class. I am currently doing laundry and marinating food. I have also contacted people about a summer internship and asked my boss from over the summer for a letter of recommendation. I have also emailed the study abroad person at my school for more information. On top of that I finished all my homework due tomorrow so I am planning on finally watching Wanted around 4:00. My day is going good.
I put them to good use. I see class cancellations as like a gift and always try to be productive in the times i would have been in class. I am currently doing laundry and marinating food. I have also contacted people about a summer internship and asked my boss from over the summer for a letter of recommendation. I have also emailed the study abroad person at my school for more information. On top of that I finished all my homework due tomorrow so I am planning on finally watching Wanted around 4:00. My day is going good.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Its been a while
Ok so its been a while since I have put one of these. Since then i have gone on break come back and started classes. I've been really busy with classes and work lately. So far my classes are looking pretty good. There seems to be a reading required. I have also got myself a domain name.
Last night I went to a study abroad meeting and am currently working on what I need to do in order to spend a semester in Montreal.
Currently I am just killing time so I don't have go go into the other room and see lost. I missed the first 30 minutes of it and plan to just watch it online later.
I will try to keep these more consistent by dropping the video in every time and doing them only when I have a bunch of time. by typing these I hope to get them out more often because like this one I can put one out in less than 10 minutes. Hope to get another one out soon.
Last night I went to a study abroad meeting and am currently working on what I need to do in order to spend a semester in Montreal.
Currently I am just killing time so I don't have go go into the other room and see lost. I missed the first 30 minutes of it and plan to just watch it online later.
I will try to keep these more consistent by dropping the video in every time and doing them only when I have a bunch of time. by typing these I hope to get them out more often because like this one I can put one out in less than 10 minutes. Hope to get another one out soon.
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