it seems that our christmas hasn’t really started yet. while we had lobster last night (and i enjoyed watching the poor things being fitted for the pot) and then watched WALL.E, not much christmassy things have been done. AC has a new laptop, an acer aspire and it is nifty. i really would love one. no other presents have been opened and our christmas dinner is being cooked as we speak. or write. and i’m in charge of the roasties. what a responsibility!

hopefully, the meal will be lovely and then we can enjoy the massive chocolate pudding that we have from Costco. now how we managed before we found that place, i’ll never know. most of our christmas dinner, and provisions for our holiday are from there. best go check the potatoes again. and we’re good.

i’ll try and write a bit more in a couple of hours. i’ve just sat down to watch hard grit. haven’t seen it in a while and hopefully it will get me in the mood for gritstone again, rather than plastic.

we’ve packed and i’m now simmering down and listening to vaughn williams. its all very nice. i can hear the dishwasher in the background which adds a certain sense of modernity into it. i’ve finished tidying up, and now i just want to pass out, but its a bit early yet.

vaughn williams is a bit sad – which isn’t a wonderful word and creates sweeping statements that i don’t really mean. all i can suggest is that he’s very melodic and beautiful but melancholy. its wonderful, but not what i would want to listen to if i was grieving or upset. he is traditional english and i can understand why people associate his music with england. until now, i had never properly listened to him. of course i can identify different parts of his compositions from television and other sources.

on other notes, our loft has been finished – finally! we’ve had the new floor down, put up all the insulation and even stained and varnished the wood! how exciting. now we have to get a plasterer in and then paint. then, perhaps about a year later, the loft will be done.

we’re going to dartmoor soon. i’m hoping to get out bouldering if the weather is good. otherwise i can see myself wandering around abandoned villages from the medieval times and lots of different ruins.

Hello,

I’m very very busy at the moment. Currently working at a Law firm and haven’t very much to write about. However, more will come. Possibly tomorrow, even.

I’ve finished. Totally – well not quite totally – but pretty much finished my Masters. I handed my thesis in a week early and since then I’ve been dossing and sorting the house out.

AC went to Wales with his colleagues on the weekend, so I had the weekend to myself. I climbed a lot, and worked and generally didn’t get much sleep. Sprocket managed to get some sort of bug and shat everyhwere. It was so rank that it nearly made me throw up. But, the climbing was good. We went to the climbing works twice and my fingers haven’t really forgiven me yet. The first session was mainly a ploddle and I went around the 4 – 6a circuit and the second session was a bit harder and focussed more on slopers. I was knackered from the walk over there too.

Anyway, its not long until we go to Italy for a week and I’m so looking forward to it, although I’m still paranoid that I have lost AC’s camera.

I don’t really have much to say. Other than they have reset the foundry wall and its rubbish. Or more accurately, its set at a harder level than I can climb. And I need new shoes. And I would like a new harness. And that is about it.

Well, the photos of me leading are finally up on Facebook, so I’ll stick a couple here. I had a great weekend out with L and RG and the rest of the Lemmings who came up from the Sussex University.

Evening Wall E1 5b

While what I did wasn’t particularly difficult, I really enjoyed leading. So, I guess thats the way to do it. Stick to the low grades for a while and then start to push myself.

Bilberry Crack VDiff

I definately could lead VS once I get more experience at placing gear and knowing when to place what. Although sitting in an office saying that is miles different from standing or balancing on small holds half way up a cliff.

How not to use double ropes, unless knitting is the intention

Its raining again and I’m not impressed. Connie has come to say hi. I want my breakfast!

Well after my BMF sesh on the Tuesday and real progress on the 7a on the Wednesday, I decided to calm down a bit and take Thursday off. I can’t remember what we did.

Friday, I got back on my 7a but knew that it wasn’t going to go that night. Not much has happened really.

I’ve just started British Military Fitness yesterday with my mate RG. It hurt. I am having trouble typing as I’ve done something to my right arm. I genuinely thought I was going to throw up last night. It was great. I actually felt like I was doing cardio. So, I’m going to do it once a week on top of my climbing and mountain biking and training. Hopefully when I get a bit more money, I’ll be able to jack it up to unlimited so that I can then go a couple of times a week. Until then, once a week is probably enough!

Where I went, there was more fit people and a LOT more hills

Still haven’t got the photos for Ash Tree Wall area, so haven’t done a blog on it. The house on the other hand, looks like a bomb site and its currently being sanded down by AC and RN. I can’t wait until its over.

Okay, now feeling pumped.

It looks good. Its comfy and I wish I had the money.

Isn’t it sexy?

Womens Elite Ziplock Harness

I’ll speak more tomorrow probably as I’ve got a LOT of work to do and I’m procrastinating currently. We went to Outside yesterday and I tried it on. Oh god, I WANT it!

House woes indeed. AC and I realised we needed to reinsulated the loft (our bedroom) half way through last winter when Sprocket dived under the duvet shivering, and the glasses next to our bed were shrouded in frost. RN, a mate from the Foundry agreed to help AC re-insulate the attic over the next two weeks. So, AC and RN started to destroy the room on Monday. Since then they have found a number of things wrong with the room which has sent RN into fits of worries, and slightly hysterical giggles, and AC into rants over fudging and DIY doctors.

Anyway, they took the boards off and found that we had no insulation whatsoever, just some token silver coated bubble wrap about the width of my little finger. Totally pointless. On the plus side, they didn’t create that much mess due to the fact that there wasn’t anything to cause mess in the first place, but the underside of the roof tiles and tile liner.

However, here comes the fun part: the roof pailing wasn’t held up by anything, the joists weren’t exactly attached to the floor and the way that the previous occupants had strengthened the floor and prevent bounce was by fixing it to the roof. I expect a couple of “Hunh’s?” because that is pretty shit. I know. So, instead of coming to reinsulated the roof, RN is having to shore up the roof, by building a brick wall to bridge the gap between the floor bit and the roof, rip out the floor and start from the bottom up. Its absolutely crazy.

More horror stories tomorrow.

And pictures.

Found this memory thing while meandering around the web.

1. My uncle once: attempted to interrogate my boyfriend at the time. The fact that this is pretty much all I can think of in relation to my relatives is slightly worrying. I guess because they live over the pond, its harder to see them or keep in touch. Although now, it appears that my “father in law” (in quotations as we’re not married) and both uncles all have the same name.

2. Never in my life: have I shaved my head. I’ve been tempted, but as I had my hair very, very short when I was younger and was teased I am a bit wary. I think it would be fun, but at the same time it could be a totally stupid thing to do.

3. When I was five: I ran into a doorknob that didn’t have the knob bit on it. Its left a scar, but I’m not saying where.

4. High school was: A bit traumatic really. I ended up in the UK after leaving Vancouver, with short hair and went to an all girls school. Lets just say I intensly dislike South Park.

5. I will never forget: Growing up in Vancouver, and how lucky I am to have had the experience of total wilderness (not in Vancouver, but in BC).

6. Once I met: Fidel Castro. And by met, I mean I watched him speaking at the Plaza de la Revolution in Havana. I was very tired after the all night party at the university before hand and only had rum to drink. I think he spoke for a long time, but I’m not sure as I found myself dozing while standing up.

7. There’s this girl I know: Well, I don’t know very many girls. So, a girl who I know climbs incredibly strong and is great fun to be around.

8. Once, at a bar: I had my drinks bought for me, many times. Its great.

9. By noon, I’m usually: dressed and drinking coffee.

10. Last night: I wandered around sheffield in the sun. I discovered the Bowlhills, and the BMX track. I plan to take my bike there to practice jumps. Hopefully I wont injure myself too much.

11. If only I had: the ability to stop being anxious about everything. And to climb well. And to not have to check whether I’ve turned the cooker off at 3am.

12. Next time I go to church: Will be a long, long, long time from now. And probably a wedding, or a funeral.

13. What worries me most: currently is whether I’ll finish my dissertation.

14. When I turn my head left I see: a whole bunck of ice axes, shorts and climbing shoes. Oh wait, that is to my right.

15. When I turn my head right I see: The store room, (which is actually to my left) and shoe boxes.

16. You know I’m lying when: I don’t say anything or something. I don’t know.

17. What I miss most about the Eighties is: Not much, I was only five when it ended.

18. If I were a character in Shakespeare I’d be: Katherine (or Katrina). While she’s apparently a shrew, at least she has a backbone and stands up to people. Plus, I like her script and the story. I don’t know why, but I do.

19. By this time next year: I really hope to have a job.

20. A better name for me would be: Not sure really. Mum and Dad wanted to call me Elizabeth, Branwenn or some other Welsh name

21. I have a hard time understanding: things that have numbers included in them. I don’t have a very numerical brain.

22. If I ever go back to school, I’ll: Do a Ph.D.

23. You know I like you if: I chat with you for a long, long time. I generally like most people.

24. If I ever won an award, the first person I would thank would be: My boyfriend probably. I may not thank anyone though. But probably end up rambling and thank everyone in the universe.

25. Take my advice, never: give beans to AC.

26. My ideal breakfast is: Toast. I’m simple, ooooh actually buttermilk pancakes. They’re awesome.

27. A song I love but do not have is: I’m not sure as I never remember the names to things ever.

28. If you visit my hometown, I suggest you: be prepared for appalling weather that way if it’s not raining and there’s no gale force wind you will be extra appreciative of why we say “you can’t beat Sheffield on a good day.”

29. Why won’t people: be sensible/responsible/organized/caring/loving/understanding/punctual/take your pick?

30. If you spend a night at my house: you will be accosted/jumped on by Sprocket.

31. I’d stop my wedding for: dunno. Probably won’t have a wedding.

32. The world could do without: George Bush.

33. I’d rather lick the belly of a cockroach than: eat a sandwich. I hate them that much.

34. My favourite blonde(s) is/are: I don’t have one? Blondes….hmmm maybe my friend IH? She’s a blonde and lovely.

35. Paper clips are more useful than: a poke in the eye.

36. If I do anything well it’s: baking, and not making sense

37. And by the way: I’m procrastinating. Can’t you tell?

Okay, I’ve tried to post this a couple of times now, and it hasn’t worked. So, I’ll try for the third time and leave it in whatever way it ends up.

AC, GW and I took the van down to Pembroke for the weekend. It was, to quote JD from Scrubs, “Awesome”. The drive down was gorgeous, and we drove through these twisty little roads and picturesque little villages and hamlets.

The Van

We had to use these roads as it was the quickest and most direct way down there, but the van doesn’t go that fast so it was prudent to use these roads rather than the motorway. The van did make it, after about six hours travel.

The Coastal Road between Abba and St Davids

After arriving, in the gorgeous sun and setting up, the BBQ came out and we had dinner and then headed to the pub. The next day, the sun still shone and the sea was glittering against the rocks. So, we went climbing. It took a whole five minutes to walk to the crag (at the end of our campsite), and as the tide was coming up, set up a couple of topropes. There was also a newbie in the group so a top rope is probably a smarter move than abbing in and telling him to climb up again.

After high tide (And a brief bike into St Davids to buy a hat and sunglasses), we went to Whitesands Beach where we scrambled down to another crag. I led something here (very exciting)! It was a Diff and I can’t remember the name of it. Anyway, I was happy.

The Diff that I Led

After that excitement, not much else happened. We chilled out in the evening playing poker and the next day went for a walk. It was so hot that I jumped into the sea! It was a bit nippy, I grant you. It was totally worth it, as the water was beautiful, green and clear. AC sat around watching, while GW and I dived in, hat and all.

GW and I on some Rocks

Okay. Its a rather short and boring post, but I’ve attempted to write it about three times so I’m bored of it now!