Category: Weekend Update!

Tired… but why?

mike d. 8 Comments Weekend Update!

I tried to hit the reset button this weekend. I had a great jam session with the band Sunday, and my classes on Friday and Saturday showed promise to be some of the better classes I’ve had at RPI (a welcome relief). Also, I got a good amount of sleep Saturday night and again last night when I went to bed at 8:30pm. Yet still, I feel dead this morning.

I’ve decided to improve my diet a bit. The past month or two has had me eating really really poorly (cheddar bratwurst, kielbasa, pork, limited veggies, etc). Today my lunch is significantly improved with some pineapple for a morning snack and a chicken rice dish with a side of brussel sprouts for lunch.

Hopefully the improved foods and more established sleeping hours will improve my energy levels. I’d like to enter the age of 27* in overdrive.

*occasionally I read Craigslist personals. Lately there’s been a strange trend of the ages of people being switched to 27. This is horribly unfortunate if you are actually at the cusp of 27 trying to find people of similar age. Try it out! go to any craigslist place in the country and check the ‘women seeking men’ section. the few sites I checked all had at least 30-40% of people were twenty seven. But then, if you open some of those, they will describe people who are definitely different ages. I presume it’s some sort of bug or spam, but it’s interesting nonetheless.

VOX & Blindsight

mike d. 0 Comment Weekend Update!

I got quite a bit of work done this weekend. While I spent much of my Saturday and part of my Sunday doing work for work and school, I did have an opportunity for some sit down time. The time spent sitting was spent mostly with a guitar in hand as I worked out the intricate details of my VOX toneLab which, as I learn of its potential, has me wondering if I need a hardcore Amp Head. This pedal just might have enough to keep the sound heavy. I’ll keep you updated.

And last night the Fun Club got together to check out BlindSight. It’s a documentary about 6 blind Tibetan teenagers who go on an adventure climbing one of the peaks adjacent to Mount Everest. It was both heartbreaking and inspirational. In Tibet, if you’re blind the populous assumes it’s because you did something horrible in a previous life. Because of this, many of the children were scorned by their parents and families. Some were openly called a burden and a disgrace. They got out of their houses and went to a school for the blind where they developed new skills. And then, they got a unique opportunity to meet Erik Weihenmayer the first blind individual to climb Everest. Erik motivated them and got a team of guides together to help the kids climb a 21,000 ft peak next to Everest. They suffered from altitude sickness, stumbled, and lost faith but kept onward. I won’t tell you what happened, but I will say that after their adventure, those six kids were able to go onward and achieve really amazing things.

And now it’s Monday! And we’re back in business.

Saturday of Tedium. Sunday of Intensity.

mike d. 1 Comment climbing, Weekend Update!

This weekend was packed.

Saturday was a day of Kung Fu, Taxes, and Homework. Taxes turned out to be a phenomenal punch in the gut as I tried to carefully deduct every receipt that I had for House of Rock repairs in 2007. Too complicated friends. Much too complicated.

So let’s just scratch Saturday as a day of frustration. Sunday however… Sunday was enough to redeem the weekend. It was the ultimate day of adventure.

At 8am Pete and I were at Cathole setting up a few climbs. Pete started with a lead of a 5.6 called ‘elegant monkey.’ It did not feel even remotely like a 5.6

5.6’s should be reasonably comfortable, with plenty of hand holds where you can rest and relax. After Pete lead it, I followed and even with a rope above me I felt really uncomfortable. It was an intimidating overhanging route and required some fist jams and finger jams to get through it. Pete didn’t look concerned at all as he worked through a dicey crux. I have no idea how he pulled it off so smoothly. Despite all the brutal difficulty, it was exceptionally fun. After we finished that route, I jumped on Pegasus (5.8) again.

Pegasus is a very comfortable climb, but I didn’t perform too well. I strung myself out a little too much and had a piece of gear that wasn’t as bomber as I would have liked. I think when climbing I need to make sure to remain patient and not rush gear placement. One thing I’m very proud of is my top anchors. They have progressed considerably from last year.

After Pegasus, I zipped down to Stratford for band practice. We pretty much went through all songs learned to date, and really… they weren’t too bad. Heavens my guitar is fantastic. I can’t even begin to tell you how much joy it brings me. Once our band secures a bassist and a bandname, we’ll be probably about two months of regular practice away from a show.

After jamming, I drove up to Irene’s place for a huge dance dance revolution (the Hottest Party) get together. It was amazing. There were four hours of dancing. FOUR. We had two pads and probably about 6 active dancers. Darcy will probably throw up a review at some point, perhaps even with incriminating video. Check out her blog here.

And now it’s Monday… and I’m starting the week with a Keg of Coffee.