thelawgoddess

this actually makes me think about my last oil change. maybe i'm just being paranoid, but i tried this new place, didn't stick around while they did it, and was wondering if they actually changed my oil! hmm ...

yes, it is. muir is great training for the climb to camp when you make an attempt. if you're in shape for that part, that'll definitely help! and if it's nice out, it is beautifl ...

hmm. i don't know. i might consider it even though the drive would be a bitch. ask me again on monday ...

yeah; we've exchanged lots of emails. he makes great-looking bikes! but unfortunately he can't really build me what i want for what i want to pay so i'm continuing to look at used bikes. he actually turned me onto the dakar frames, as well as some others i hadn't looked at before, so he's been really helpful in that respect.

it is! dammit!!!

hey, aren't you married?

luwayo wrote in another thread: didn't get either. decided the dawgs are just too big for me and not quite what i want. and after pricing out the non-stock components on the enduro pro i was looking at, i figured the girl was asking about $400 too much and she wouldn't budge more than $200. so i'm still looking. considering a jamis dakar at the moment. waiting for the pics as the person is out of town. (the valuations are so much more difficult when they're not stock components.) this bike has some nice upgrades, though, so i'm hopeful ...

sent you a pm. i've seen them for $300+ for the whole cycle here. still a lot of dough on my budget!

hey, esp., there are a lot of assumptions going on there! did he invite you to dinner? (usually the one who invites is supposed to pay -- not that it will end up that way, but that's the general "rule".) also, was the bill already on the table when you got up? if so, i could see why he might think you want him to pay. if you had intended to pay for part of the dinner, you probably should have left your card or some money for your part before you excused yourself to tinkle. if it wasn't on the table already, i think that sometimes waitstaff see someone going to the bathroom as a signal that they're ready to leave - particularly if you've just been sitting and talking for some time. or maybe the dude just figured he'd take care of it while you were gone. difficult to tell what his intentions are. some guys pay no matter who they're out to dinner with or why - they're just like that. just curious, though -- why were you adamant about not allowing it to be a date?

has anybody ever gone to the ring cycle at seattle opera? would you do it again, or do you think it's something everybody should do once in their lifetime? and if you could only see one of the operas, which one would you recommend?

wow, knelson; that was a great post! i really enjoyed reading it. thanks for sharing. unfortunately, though, not everybody out there is looking for their "mate"; they're just looking for some action. if they were actually looking to get to know someone who could be a potential lifelong partner ... well, i don't think that would offend anybody! i think a date implies something; just hard to define what these days because people's intentions are so widely varied. i think esp.'s concern is valid because often times one person will think it's a date when the other person doesn't, and it's rather difficult to just come out and ask, "hey; is this a date?" without causing some turmoil. sometimes it's better to just do that anyway and get it over with, though, because like kurt said, it's all about timing. if they're offended because you asked, well, at least you learned something about them and where they're at ...

that's terrible!

just 'cause i've dated a few losers doesn't mean i've had any bad first dates. yeah...but THOSE guys had bad first dates... some of them are lucky they got dates at all! (and i don't guarantee a date with me will be a good time ... because if i'm not having a good time; well - what else matters? )

just 'cause i've dated a few losers doesn't mean i've had any bad first dates.

so, rumr, to bring this back to the thread. tell us about your bad first dates ...

i took my cat to squamish one summer. i just gave them his proof of rabies along with my passport. she tried to hassle me a little because he wasn't in his carrier (he was under the seat) ... but she didn't seem too keen on trying to get him out to see, though.

another option would be part of the pacific crest trail, but that makes it a little more difficult to arrange for transportation.

Climb: prusik peak-west ridge Date of Climb: 7/3/2005 Trip Report: i scored an enchantments permit from wolfs for the three-day weekend. (thanks again, wolfs! ) in all my years of living in wa, i’d never been up there, so markws and i figured we’d make it a weekend and give prusik a go while we were there. on saturday morning we parked at the snow creek trailhead, and a local buddy (thanks, ryan!) gave us a lift to the colchuck lake trailhead. we stopped for lunch at the lake, where mark caught a couple of trout in less than 10 minutes. the breeze picked up while we were there and kept the heat of the day from baking us silly. once rested we began the final 2200-foot grind. there is very little snow left up to aasgard pass. i only remember crossing a couple of small patches high. by the time we were at the top i was wearing shell pants and my goretex jacket, as well as a hat and gloves! once over we were both surprised at how much snow there was. the first lake we came to was still frozen so we continued onward. it was very cool to see prusik in the distance! we ended up at inspiration lake, below the snow line and a short jaunt to prusik pass. it was cold!!! the wind was mach’ing and it was all i could do to sit in the tent with my sleeping bag and make a cup of hot chocolate through the door. but it was an amazing spot, with the lake right there and those brilliant granite cliffs behind it. the next morning we were rudely awakened at about 6am to the sound of hooves and bleating, as a local group of mountain goats made their urine-seeking rounds. the babies were cute! we eventually rose and prepared for an assault of prusik. what an awesomely short approach from our tent! we made it to prusik fairly early and saw one group heading up the scramble and another getting ready. turns out the latter was headed for the south face so we didn’t have to wait for anyone. it was a beautiful day, but the wind was pretty constant … and quite cold! we were climbing on one half rope doubled over so that made for short pitches, which worked out well since there are sections that would have heinous rope drag anyway. the climb started out fun … then got more "interesting" ... and gradually felt more exposed as we gained the ridge. at the pitch before the bolt we had gone up the vertical thin corner on the right. the party behind us went up left. we were wondering why that pitch seemed so much harder than it should have been! the bolted move was fun and the chimney was about as short and pleasant as a chimney might be. the summit – yay! (except for all the mosquitoes!!!) the descent consisted of multiple raps – 5, i think. at which point we traversed back towards the start of the climb. there were several snow patches to cross, which are real fun in rock shoes, but it wasn’t too bad. the mosquitoes, on the other hand, were. all in all, a great climb in an amazing setting, though! on the way back to inspiration lake we saw several furry marmots. the next morning, wayne1112 and lane walked by camp, on their way out to prusik. on our way out of the enchantments, we spied them starting their climb of the south face. you can just make out a helmet at the base. thanks for the wonderful weekend, markws!!! and for carrying my pack … Gear Notes: 60m half rope bunch of nuts some hexes a few cams Approach Notes: see above.

but, um ... shouldn't you do that before the finish?

hmm. sounds like a fun time. maybe you should carry a horse crop and some bear spray. :crosseyes: what's up with the red potatoes? are they cooked? (i really don't know!)

if you've never heard the term, you need to see "Mating Habits of the Whistler Mountain Cougar" ... not sure where you can get it, but i saw it at a film festival type of showing up in whistler a couple of winters ago and it is f'ing hilarious.

well, if you're a young guy and the chick's older, i think one term in use is cougar. not sure if it's a young girl and an old dude.