tanstaafl

It's not as burdensome, thanks to the deductions for mortgage interest, you dumbass. We all can figure our personal cost-benefit analysis and make that choice based on the status quo. The proposal was to CUT the deductions for mortgage interest, and child/dependent care deductions. Changing the status quo is the topic under discussion. If someone thinks it's so unfair to rent and not get a deduction, figure out if you could benefit more by owning. If so, buy. If not, shut up. If you think people benefit monetarily by having kids and taking a deduction, well, I've got news for you, you don't come out "ahead", but you do get a lot of help to make ends meet. I have no problem with rent and the fact that renters can't deduct. I have an enormous problem with the proposition that "My freely chosen lifestyle is so costly that I can't make ends meet without a government subsidy, therefore I deserve one."

An absolute number in isolation is meaningless. Divide your square footage by the number of occupants, and you get a more meaningful baseline for discussion. 3000 sq ft for 2 or 3 people is ridiculous. For 5 or 6, is not so bad at all. How many single childless folks here would live in a 600 sq ft studio and think that is "luxurious"? I lived for years in studios smaller than that and was very comfortable.

Of course, no landlord would include the costs of their mortgage and property taxes in the rent they charge. They just eat that cost.

Please note: Due to the fact that it's the first nice day in a week venue has been shifted to Pacific Inn on Stone Way, where we can sit outside and eat killer fish & chips.

Dude, I'm midway in life's journey. I'll leave that to the college girls.

Midway in life's journey, I went astray from the straight road and woke to find myself in a dark bar drinking dollar pitchers with Ken Ford. Come on out tonight and see the Man himself. Limited time engagement.

That's a fun route; it was the first time I ever used Lowe Balls. That was the only route we did the first time I went to Vedauwoo; it started raining and we left. Scarpelli? Looks like a killer trip; thanks for the pics!

If Ross and Sky are in charge you gotta look in the sand dunes north of the little building and the volleyball courts.

You go through a nine-month long climbing course without learning to place pro or build anchors?

Yaz "Situation" came on when I was at the Twisp brewpub last weekend with Rat. I hadn't heard that in years. I still remember all the lyrics though. Rat was horrified.

I had an extra shirt, and fortunately another in our group had pants that I fit into. whew.

Gave my shirt, pants, hat, gloves, and jacket to a hypothermic naked person.

Because no one who learned to climb outside would ever overbolt anything, right?

Hey Blake, I have a Bugs guide you can borrow (two, in fact), but you have too many PMs. I live in Fremont. Let me know if you still need one.

yeah no kidding.

I like the comment in the summit register that said of the East Ridge, "Only a true Cascades choss hound would call that 'excellent' rock." I thought it was pretty good myself. The South Face did look pretty rotten. Nice storm shots. Did the rain at least keep the murderous bugs down?

Thanks, all. Selkirk and Rob: check your pm's.

Yeah, I found them online all over the place, I just wanted to get one NOW. Instant gratification and all that, you know.

Called REI, the guy had never heard of them, went and looked, said they don't have them.

Anybody ever buy one in Seattle? Where? I've just called about fifteen medical supply places, pharmacies, and outdoor stores, with no luck. Only a couple of people even knew what I was talking about.

Rat and I did this traverse in the opposite direction this weekend. We hiked in through thundershowers on Friday and bivied on the ridge above Jerry Lakes. The bugs are out in full force. Rat thought they weren't that bad, but I was really glad we brought a tent instead of a tarp, and hunted down every one that made its way into our sanctuary and slaughtered it with a cathartic "DIE, motherfucker!" The climbing on the E Ridge is super fun, and only 3 hours from where you access the ridge to the summit. We downclimbed the last little section of the E Ridge and traversed over to the N Ridge on steep snow, then downclimbed the N Ridge to a very cool cannonhole we slithered through, down more steep snow to the Nohokomeen, traversed across it and scampered through a little icefall. A lovely break on a sunny rock was followed by approximately 4500 feet of "straightforward" (if you're Rat) or "character-building" (if you're me) bushwhacking down to the Ross Lake East Bank trail. Spent the night there and had a pleasant hike out yesterday. We tried to hitchhike back to the Canyon Creek trailhead, but ended up just walking the whole way along the highway, which didn't actually take all that long. Excellent alpine scramble with gorgeous views, and we didn't see a soul until we hit Roland Creek on the way out yesterday.

FW there are a few spillway pics in my gallery.

FW, did you do the traverse over to Icy as well? It was a beautiful day but oh my word there were a gazillion people on Ruth. Only ran into two folks over on Icy.

A leisurely three days. Day 1 hike into Boston Basin, laze around in the sun all afternoon. Day 2 climb the route. Day 3 sleep in and hike out.

Sorry Jim, I took no summit shots and my one shot of the rock is lousy. Maybe Fern has some good ones. Off, yeah we downclimbed and rapped the West Ridge. I was swearing a lot as I rapped six inches, threw the ropes, rapped six inches, threw the ropes....hah.