Intercepted

I have over 16,000 steps on my fitness tracker and that means one thing -- that David, the unofficial tour guide, intercepted me again. I'm so naive because I didn't expect to see him again and certainly didn't expect for him to attach himself to me again.

David

I made an easy target as he knew that I would probably exercise. At any rate, he showed me a few more points of interests, including the Marcus Garvey statue and the part of the beach where fisherman hangout. When I asked David if the fisherman were going to get ticked off because I was taking pictures in their territory, he said "no" and that he wouldn't bring me if that were the case then "My life over yours first..."

Fisherman's Beach

My aunt has been craving hotdogs and pizza so I found a restaurant that worked for all us as I am content to eat my weight in jerk chicken and yams right now. My aunt ordered a cheeseburger and before she finished, she burped solidly which made me laugh like a kid. I told her that in some cultures burping is considered a compliment to the chef.

The Yoga Place and The Wedding Place

Jessica and David, two of my climbing buddies, got married today at the exact time as one of my fave yoga classes, ha-ha.

I thought about going to a class right before the wedding which was totally doable since the yoga place and the wedding place are about three minutes away from each other but the alternate class was a warm one and I am finished with heated yoga classes. Plus, I am over, to a certain extent, trying to squeeze things in just because I can.

Jessica and David's wedding was at the Jewel Box in beautiful Forest Park. In case you haven't heard, Forest Park is twice as big as Central Park. :)

I love the minimalist and lovely approach that Jessica and David took toward their wedding and I love it that Jessica was accompanied down the aisle by Mike and Patti.

When the minister said David, you chose Jessica...I was like Damn, I forgot to put tissue in my purse.

Jessica and David are such incredible people. To say that I wish them the best is an understatement...

The Rough Plan

Got several emails about climbing. The rough plan was 9:00 a.m. Yoga Under The Arch. Some folks would hit the climbing gym around 10 and others around 10:30.

The likelihood of me making it under the Arch at 9 was very slim but you never know...

I wake up in phases since I often go to sleep with the TV on despite having a timer. I woke up and watched Lester and Jenna participate in the new line dancing craze on The Today Show then propped myself up to read The Complete Idiot's Guide to Yoga.

Went to the basement, rolled out my mat and tried to lift up into wheel pose. The book ended up being by the scale and I weighed myself despite making a decision to stay off the scale for a day. I was not satisfied with the number and I already knew that I wouldn't be...

Drank my smoothie (almond milk, banana, unsweetened cocoa, flax seeds, peanut butter powder, ice cubes) clipped my fingernails, got my gear and headed to the gym.

I didn't see anyone that I knew and waited a bit before I put on my unforgiving shoes. I'm pretty sure that I've been stood up by four people so I gear up and hit the auto-belay. I climb, get water. I climb again. Get water.

It's been a long year week and the tears come. I rubbed my eye and dislodged my contact and, of course, I didn't have any contact solution plus I had a little chalk on my hand. I grabbed a paper towel and placed the contact on the brown paper, washed my hands and hoped for the best.

As I exited the bathroom, I am invited to climb by two women.

Me to Tanya: I thought you looked familiar. Are you David's friend?
 D...: We are David's friends.

So Davel...I can't remember how to pronounce or spell her name put the first part is pronounced like navel put starts with a D...and Tanya chatted with me for a while. They made it to Yoga Under the Arch and expected to see David and Jessica but didn't.

Not too longer after that, the pair walked in. They totally overslept...

I passed by a guy and recognized a tattoo. It was Ryan.

Ryan: You only recognized my tattoo?
Me: Well you look different.
Ryan: I have hair.

Ryan said that while he still felt like he had the coordination for climbing, he was out of shape. He hadn't really climbed in three years and he weighs 25 pounds more than he used to and he says it's such a difference  carrying more weight up the wall. Tell me about it, brother...

How I Recognized Ryan

More of Ryan's Tattoo 

Jessica Working On a 5.10 Route

Before Jessica and David appeared, I was going to cut out but I'm glad that I didn't. I felt pretty good on the wall even though I botched more routes than I care to remember but I stuck with everything -- even the last route when I felt my energy wane and my fingertips smart... Jessica reminded me to use my legs and behind more...

Trisha's Rat Tattoo*

I felt good after climbing and enjoyed the way my body moved. On my post-climbing walk, I am reminded of an important lesson -- to not let my mind write stories...

Such A Divine Fragrance That I Walked By Twice

*Trisha co-taught the lead climbing class that I took eons ago.

You Wouldn't Do That, Would You? or Stuff People Say To Me

You wouldn't do that, would you?

My mother upon hearing that Andrew Mason, former Groupon CEO, posted a video of himself doing yoga in his underwear.

You know how we eat radishes in Switzerland? With a little butter and salt on top. Mmm, so delicious.

Sarah

It's you that smells like Christmas.

Jessie to me after I magnetically cleared her energy field.

You look regal.

Bonnie, a woman who thought she knew me then chalked it up to my look.

Scudder me...

Sue to me during energy workshop

No thanks, I'll find the bees.

One of my boxing classmates who was not looking forward to allergy season. She preferred taking local honey to acupuncture.

I don't want to kill him but I don't want to have lunch with him either. 

Woman at Serendipity Cafe about a bee on her menu.

Does everyone have their cell phones on stun?

Pat before we started energy therapy work.

You were doing aerial fitness. 

Patti to me after my rope got seriously tangled with the auto belay.

Spandex is a privilege and not a right and it's a firm belief of mine that if you're a male, it's a privilege. 

David to me after I commented on his cool (non-spandex) bike shorts.

The Nod

After we climbed and headed to the locker room, Patty told me that she saw kettlebells on Woot-Off! and thought of me.

I told her that was sweet that she thought of me. I also told her that I am looking for a twin for my 22 pounder.

Patti: Let me get this straight. You're swinging 22 pounds with one hand and 22 with the other?

Me: Yes, it's doable. It's not pretty and it doesn't feel all that great but...

David tells me that Jessica wants to do a sprint triathlon but he's not feeling it. I ask him what he wants to do.  On his bucket list is running a marathon in Death Valley but in the winter. Mike chimes in and says he has a list -- it's not a fitness bucket list but it rhymes with bucket and that makes me laugh out loud.

After climbing, I headed to the pool and when I got there, the noise was deafening -- the Boy Scouts have returned. I chided myself for not going home -- for frequently trying to seize the exercise moment. As I decided whether or not I should pay or go home, the Weight Watchers' woman nodded at me. I was touched by her willingness to share a lane.

And, bonus, I am a different and better swimmer when I have to share. I got in 10 quick laps -- possible the quickest I've ever done and called it a night.

Lessons I Learned from Rock Climbers

Lesson One
Didn't feel particularly like climbing yesterday but one of my buddies wanted to go. I wasn't overly sore from Monday's kettlebell beat down but still didn't know if I would have the wherewithal to pull myself up the wall.

As I'm getting ready to tie in and climb a route, I notice this woman a couple of routes over and her foot is slipping off the arête but it's because she had a boot on her foot!

It was inspiring to see her climb. I even asked if I could take a picture and it didn't matter that I was without my camera. I borrowed my climbing partner's phone in my shameless pursuit of documentation...

One of These Shoes Is Not Like The Other

Lesson Two
I tried out a new route and had to hoist all of my fabulousness over an arête. The guys who had just finished with the route watched my progress.

David, my climbing partner, told me that I wasn't using my legs and, yes, I will try to muscle my way up a route instead of using my legs.

I got stuck right at the arête and asked David to lower me. Russ, one of the watchers told me: You were right there; your hand was inches away. It was like you didn't even want to to reach it. I've done that too -- told myself I can't do it.

So, I got myself back up on the route and over the arête; it was not pretty at all but I got myself further up the wall than I had anticipated.


Lesson Three

I talked to another one of my climbing partners who said that it would be at least another month before he is able to climb because of a lingering back issue.

I asked him if he had tried any complementary therapies. Chris told me that walking has helped and is actually considered a form of Chigung. So, yes, he said; I suppose I am doing complementary therapy.

It Depends on How Mental You Are or Overheard in the Gym

Belayer: You just have to step up with the right leg and let go.

Climber: Let go?

Better than ever.

Meghan's daughter's enthusiastic response to How are you?

Mom, will you spot me?

A.J. (who wanted to boulder) to Leah

A.J.'s Pancake Impression

Switch position!

There's a trio of French-speaking climbers who brought along a newbie and the belayer was giving the climber instructions in French when I heard him switch to English on a route call Switch Fast. Guess the route was appropriately named.

Yoga has helped me with my balance.

Woman with limited vision

Patti: A lot of climbing is mental.

David: Yeah, it depends on how mental you are.

David, Level of "Mental" Unknown

I think this route requires tallness. It also requires technique.

A belayer to a climber

Feet up then hands up.

A climber offering advice to a newbie

I think that I may actually throw up.

New Hot Yoga Practitioner

You don't hate me, do you?

The nauseous one's friend

Microfiber Towels -- Good for Absorbing Sweat & Vomit, If Necessary

Roll this (mat) up for me; you're 25 years younger.

Mother to daughter after Hot Yoga

The Natural

This picture of my nephew, Dylan, is one of my favorites. Dylan's visiting for a spell and he's definitely not the infant swaddled in a quilt, the chunky two-year old or the petulant pre-schooler who used to position himself on the opposite of everything: no to bathing, food, sleeping et al.

Dylan went climbing with me and he's a natural -- climbing routes that took me a year to ascend. Of course, he also has unfair advantages like height and muscles.

Yesterday was an interesting climbing day. There were plenty of people around but not my ace boon coon, Patti, and I missed her.

I paired up with Leah who met Patti about two weeks ago somewhere near the water fountain.

I introduced Leah to every climber that I knew which made her think that I was social. Leah, better luck with your assessment next time.

At one point, I suggested to Leah that she could climb with David of David and Helga fame or that she could probably climb with Michael and Sophie -- all lead climbers. I thought Leah would have a better time scaling more challenging routes since I don't lead belay yet.

I ended up climbing with Helga while David and Leah climbed together. Then, I saw Lisa (fist bumper, kisser and posse member) and another Michael introduced himself to me. He's like the sixth climber named Michael that I've met. I belayed for Michael and watched him mold his foot around this protuberance on a route. The way he molded his foot was beautiful...

Response of The Day

Leah to her son who had used the autobelay: Put the other carabiner back on there.

Her son: That's the way I found it.

Leah: We don't have to leave things the way other people do...

It's been interesting having my nephew around. Normally his brothers, my brother and other people are also around but he made this trek solo.

There are some people that you like less the more that you know about them but that's not true about my nephew.

Dylan on "I Think We've Met Before," 5.9


D On Auto Belay


Helpful To See Pictures of Myself (Belaying -- Pink Shirt); Otherwise, My Imagination Goes Wild