Blog Please

Anytime I get a request to Blog (which I did) I feel I should comply as I've been remiss of late.

This week I had a party in the bouldering gym, it was the year anniversary of Colin's passing, Nov 14. It was by accident that I set the party for that date but upon reflection it felt like the right way to mark that day. A group of us got together, we climbed, we laughed, we drank, we hung out. We gave a toast to Colin. I miss him as much as ever shit, damn fuck. Ah well, I'm tired of blogging about it so that's progress.  The hangover the next day was a good indication of a fun night along with the fact many of the guests didn't leave till around 3am and the rest of us didn't shut it down until 4:30am. I perked up with a good greasy breakfast the next afternoon (we'll call it brunch) and the hair of the dog that bit me at about 5pm with Tom and Lyle at the Ship and Anchor.

I need to say that this blog is going to be a random jumble of ideas; things that are either going on or bugging the fucking shit out of me and should be spoken of. 

I went out drytooling with Tom, Lyle and his buddy Gene on Friday. Drytooling is rock climbing except we use ice tools instead of our hands and on our feet we have mountaineering boots and crampons. We hiked in about 50minutes to a drytooling crag called the Playground up behind a quarry close to Exshaw. I've been staying fit with training and working out in the bouldering gym and using the tools there. You would think that would help the first time out for drytooling - hmmm not so much. It's a scary sport, I don't care how much you prepare! Not "I'm gonna die" scary (which I've felt before and that really sucks) This scary is more along the lines of "I really hope that hold doesn't pop off" or "Damn if Tom falls right now I'm going to get a crampon in the face" So maybe scary isn't the right word, anxious is probably more apt. But after a couple laps it started to feel more natural and I began to appreciate that yes, my workouts have been helping and it was heartening to be able to climb a M7and get to the top. Keep in mind that the hardmen are doing M11 to M13, just to reiterate that I am firmly in the amateur camp with this sport. It was fun to hang out with some friends. I don't get out climbing with Lyle all that much but each time is memorable. Lyle is a lovable rogue, or a "skeet" for some of you familiar with Newfie speak. 

What is a lovable rogue exactly, well... he may say or do things that other guys would get their face slapped for but somehow pulls it off with a grin that says "who me?" There are a colourful assortment of rogues, skeets, alleycats, players and men of dubious character in the climbing community. Personality quirks aside these guys can also be exceptional climbers, could save your life one day and if you're lucky can become dependable and loyal friends. But beware, they could still try and sleep with you if you're having a weak moment, an indecisive moment or a drunk moment... you get the idea... Ha yuk! That's not to say there are not women in the same camp but I haven't ran across them, or they haven't hit on me anyhow - what's up with that?

The climbing was fun but now it's wet my appetite for ice, which won't happen until the weekend. Then, shit I am getting OUT there. Enough of this no ice climbing nonsense.

We interrupt this Blog for a rant. Warning I have no intention of being politically correct about it. Its a rant not a reasoned observation. SO... there I am trying to get to a store. A freestanding building with a decent parking lot. I drive, I find a spot, I go in, I purchase said item that is on my list and I get the hell out of there. Done - finito. NOT today. The problem with this scenario is that this store sits precariously close to something I really dislike; a shopping Mall. I can't for the life of me understand the attraction of a Mall. An edifice to rampant consumerism and shitty fast food. Ya ya I was shopping too, not much different. But its the parking lots I have a big problem with, and the drivers in these parking lots. Anyhow I digress, I'm trying to get to MY store and I take one little wrong turn and I end up in the Mall parking lot. Which should have been no big deal, drive through the parking lot, cross the street and voila I'm in MY parking lot at the store I want to sneak in and out of. 

But not so fast, do you know what day it is? One day closer to the biggest consumer scam in the Western World - yes that's right Virginia, Christmas. Christmas dictates that droves and droves of people will get into their cars to drive to the Mall to spend an inordinate amount of money on shit that no one, not even a kid really needs for Christmas. BUT before they get into the Mall, I would say at the exact time they get into their cars something happens. The driver gets stupid, unaware and generally becomes a menace. I'm the first to admit I'm not the best driver, I get lost easily, I can't parallel park for the life of me but I know how to use my signal light, I can use my gas pedal and can assess a situation. Market Mall was already a zoo, it was a Saturday. But I have this fucker in front of me going 5km because he has to slow down to look down every parking aisle to see if he can see a spot. Like what, is a sunbeam of light going to shine on some empty spot so you can see it?? So while he is driving like a NOB, other cars are happily swinging out in front of him and why not? I would, he's an idiot. But the problem is that I'm behind him and I can SEE my store, just across the street, but its going to take me 15 min to get there.

But I think my annoyance isn't just with the drivers, its that they're there in the first place. Walking around like stunned drones wondering where they're going to spend their money. I dunno maybe its because I've travelled to poor countries but its like taking the Blue Matrix pill, once you wake up to how most of the world lives it hard to forget. Malls seem garish and obscene to me, so much affluence, so much excess and parents are there with their children teaching them how to become good little consumers with their designer label clothes and addictions to all that the consumer industrial complex has to offer.  I'm surprised by my reaction to all of it, its not indifference anymore, it's anger. Millions and millions of children are living in abject poverty, parents watching their babies die, war and fear and here we are in our comfy malls. Fortified and defended against feeling the wretchedness of the rest of humanity by impenetrable walls of stores. And why? Because we were lucky enough to be born in North America rather than Darfur.

I stopped Christmas shopping 2 years ago. I didn't have the stomach for it anymore. I wrote a letter to all my friends and family whom I traded gifts, I politely asked them not to give me gifts and I would donate my Christmas dollars to a charity. A girl in Africa gets to go to high school for the next 5 years. Merry Christmas to her. :-)  Last year the money went into a friend's NGO "Christmas Future" A brilliant way to give. (Please check it out)  Now I'm going to sound weird but that's fine with me; I stopped putting up a tree or decorating my place, at first it was because I wasn't home for Christmas but now I realize that I don't have the interest in the Christmas concept anymore. A fake tree with decorations - for what? I don't really even buy into "Jesus as Savior" anymore. So if it's not about his birthday and life then what is it for? A fat guy who only gives present to the developing countries kids? I know what some of you may be thinking... "Geez girl, lighten up, it's about getting together, family and the warm and fuzzy feeling all the Christmas jingles stimulate in us". My Christmas will be cooking dinner for friends who find themselves in town without family - we'll have a great time and I won't have to buy anything nobody needs just to celebrate the day.

As I mentioned this is a rant and I think it's impossible to really rant without sounding like a pious, judgmental asshole. You know what else bugs the shit out me? Parents that say "Well Christmas is about the kids" Bullshit, kids gets taught to demand the latest craze and be greedy about what they want. How? Perhaps it's the excess of gifts they get now that they lose their intrinsic value. How? Perhaps because they're allowed to be indoctrinated by TV commercials and the product placements in their favorite shows. What would happen to kids if the cable got turned off and the X-box was broken? Shocking to think of such a tragedy.

When empowered, most kids I know are damn concerned about the welfare of other kids. You show them children their own age who are living in mud huts and walking 10km to get unclean water and they'll be concerned - damn straight.  I listened to an 11yr old girl who had raised $6000 dollars to help build schools in Asia because she didn't think it was fair that they couldn't go to school. Merry Christmas to them.

Eventually I DID get to my store but not before I got really pissed off and then I was disappointed in myself for letting it all get to me. The driving, the malls, all of it. No Zen in my car I can tell you that much. I don't think Buddha ever said "You stupid FUCK - DRIVE!!" Yup that was me. I did contribute to the consumer machine by purchasing things I didn't really "need" but wanted - so take what I say with a grain of salt.

To wrap up, I beseech anyone who reads my blog - will you please indulge my request? Go to  www.shell.com/scenarios/  and read the scenarios. Maybe you don't care about it too much but care now, or care later because this shit will affect all of us eventually. I know... first I'm ranting and now I'm preaching. People like me annoy me when I encounter them but I don't care, I'm really concerned about the impending state of the world. I'm not going to ask you to write a book report, just read the scenarios and then decide for yourself what you think. That's all.

OK I'm going to go now and go to a party. I've started to wonder if I'm going to stop being invited to parties if I continue to be a sanctimonious opinionated asshole. :-) I do try to reign it in whilst in the presence of others although I've noticed of late that I'm having a hard time doing so - eegadd. HOWEVER I do figure that its my blog and and I can cry if I want to.

How is everybody out there? I hope your Christmas season is full of friends, laughter and community and less malls, debt and road rage. Oh I have ONE more request. A challenge really.... (evil grin) This Christmas give a gift you may have never given before, tell someone "I love you". I don't care who it is, your dad, your sister, your friend. But someone who doesn't hear this from you. Dude this is scary, your heart may race and you palms will sweat, try it anyway.

It'll help make Christmas what it was supposed to be, a time to spread good cheer and it won't cost a cent. Peace.