Harry Potter, Jelly Bellys and Climbing
My girlfriend Michele came up from California to have some climbing fun before she re-enters the working world after a 6 month hiatus. Michele has found the secret weapon, get her climbing partners addicted to the treats she brings from San Francisco: Drinking chocolate and tasty tid-bits from the Sharfenberger factory. California wine from lesser known regions that don't get imported up here, and now her newest brainchild, a plethora of Jelly Bellys from the factory in SF.
She produced a shopping bag full of Jelly Bellys, which I don't mind admiting I have a weakness for. But the most interesting treats in the bag were the Harry Potter Jelly Beans. Complete with intriguing flavours such as vomit, earwax, dirt, bacon, sardines, rotten egg and booger. I was one of the those kids that would touch what wasn't supposed to be touched, shake what shouldn't be shaken and eat wierd things that had no business being in my mouth. As an adult, I have munched on grasshoppers in Mexico and taken substances in Peru that were better left alone. I knew this new temptation would be too great.
In the morning I find in my hand, one jelly bean. Looking harmless but I am staring at it intently. This is the vomit jelly bean. Thoughts are racing through my mind, could it really taste like vomit? How do you manufacture that taste? What didn't enter into my thought was not to try it. Nope, the conclusion was foregone. Yes of course I was going to try the vomit jelly bean. In the mouth it goes, I chew, chew... not so bad.. really.. oh.. oh.. OH SHIT.. that tastes like BARF. Memories of my head over many toilets over the years.. bad, unpleasant memories. I spit the damn devil jelly bean out of my mouth, rushing for a glass of water. Like I should be surprised that the thing tastes like puke. I start laughing at my idiot-ness. But no sooner is that taste out of my mouth then I'm eyeing up the earwax jelly bean. But I didn't have the Chutzpah to give it a go.
Later that evening I watch one friend have that very same reaction after eating the Sardine Jelly Bean. It cracked me up, much funnier to watch someone else having an unpleasant experience.
I am deciding who I dislike enough to have these jelly beans in a bowl in my office ready to be offered to the right person. So far, none has pissed me off enough - yet. But when they do, I'll be ready.
Michele and I climbed for 2 days. A casual day at Wedge Smears which not surprisingly had the same ice quality of Snowline, another climb in K-country. Michele led up to set up the toprope and was not impressed with the fact that ice was dinnerplating in front of her and she actually had to swing. Damn lazy Californian. She is the master of efficient non-swinging while climbing. I have taken some tips from watching her. However, on lead its all about the swing and feeling solid.
I had tweaked my IT Band and it was causing me grief while on this climb. Climbing uphill and putting any wieght on the leg was hurting. I took it easy that day since we wanted to go out on Sunday as well.
Because of my situation we picked our next objective accordingly. Meaning a short approach that wouldn't stress out my leg too much. We climbed Riverview, just outside of Golden. A 100m approach sounded great to me. The ice is south facing so it was baking in the sun. Which means soft slushy ice. Great to be swinging in, but more problematic for taking Ice Screws since the sun will melt them out. It means speedy climbing since you can only realistically expect your last piece of protection to hold your fall. We swapped leads and had a great time. The climbing was well within both our ability range and it was nice to do a feel-good climb, in the warm sun. The day culminated in me landing on my ass at my car as my foot slipped on a thin ice smear, nothing was hurt except my ego.
A great weekend enjoying friends company and fun climbing. Michele heads back to San Francisco and will be starting her new job soon. We've already made plans for me to head down there on the September long weekend to get some climbing in Tualame Meadows, an alpine-esque enviroment in Yosemeti Park. I'll be looking forward to it.
She produced a shopping bag full of Jelly Bellys, which I don't mind admiting I have a weakness for. But the most interesting treats in the bag were the Harry Potter Jelly Beans. Complete with intriguing flavours such as vomit, earwax, dirt, bacon, sardines, rotten egg and booger. I was one of the those kids that would touch what wasn't supposed to be touched, shake what shouldn't be shaken and eat wierd things that had no business being in my mouth. As an adult, I have munched on grasshoppers in Mexico and taken substances in Peru that were better left alone. I knew this new temptation would be too great.
In the morning I find in my hand, one jelly bean. Looking harmless but I am staring at it intently. This is the vomit jelly bean. Thoughts are racing through my mind, could it really taste like vomit? How do you manufacture that taste? What didn't enter into my thought was not to try it. Nope, the conclusion was foregone. Yes of course I was going to try the vomit jelly bean. In the mouth it goes, I chew, chew... not so bad.. really.. oh.. oh.. OH SHIT.. that tastes like BARF. Memories of my head over many toilets over the years.. bad, unpleasant memories. I spit the damn devil jelly bean out of my mouth, rushing for a glass of water. Like I should be surprised that the thing tastes like puke. I start laughing at my idiot-ness. But no sooner is that taste out of my mouth then I'm eyeing up the earwax jelly bean. But I didn't have the Chutzpah to give it a go.
Later that evening I watch one friend have that very same reaction after eating the Sardine Jelly Bean. It cracked me up, much funnier to watch someone else having an unpleasant experience.
I am deciding who I dislike enough to have these jelly beans in a bowl in my office ready to be offered to the right person. So far, none has pissed me off enough - yet. But when they do, I'll be ready.
Michele and I climbed for 2 days. A casual day at Wedge Smears which not surprisingly had the same ice quality of Snowline, another climb in K-country. Michele led up to set up the toprope and was not impressed with the fact that ice was dinnerplating in front of her and she actually had to swing. Damn lazy Californian. She is the master of efficient non-swinging while climbing. I have taken some tips from watching her. However, on lead its all about the swing and feeling solid.
I had tweaked my IT Band and it was causing me grief while on this climb. Climbing uphill and putting any wieght on the leg was hurting. I took it easy that day since we wanted to go out on Sunday as well.
Because of my situation we picked our next objective accordingly. Meaning a short approach that wouldn't stress out my leg too much. We climbed Riverview, just outside of Golden. A 100m approach sounded great to me. The ice is south facing so it was baking in the sun. Which means soft slushy ice. Great to be swinging in, but more problematic for taking Ice Screws since the sun will melt them out. It means speedy climbing since you can only realistically expect your last piece of protection to hold your fall. We swapped leads and had a great time. The climbing was well within both our ability range and it was nice to do a feel-good climb, in the warm sun. The day culminated in me landing on my ass at my car as my foot slipped on a thin ice smear, nothing was hurt except my ego.
A great weekend enjoying friends company and fun climbing. Michele heads back to San Francisco and will be starting her new job soon. We've already made plans for me to head down there on the September long weekend to get some climbing in Tualame Meadows, an alpine-esque enviroment in Yosemeti Park. I'll be looking forward to it.
posted by Lise B at Tuesday, March 14, 2006
2 Comments:
Tee hee... Sharfenberger is a funny word. ;) Only you, Lise, would find it remarkable that a vomit-flavoured jelly bean would actually taste like puke. Mental note: don't eat any candy that Lise offers. That's just a smart rule right there...
ah ha ha ha ha ha ha-Lise ate a vomit jelly bean! ha ha-you are too funny aunty..... by the way, where can I get me some of those? (for the boys in the office;)oh and you forgot to mention banana beer in africa!
Post a Comment
<< Home