Sherri

Yes! That's a great assessment of the process, or cycle. Energy is a key point here. We're accustomed to hearing references to our energy in the passive sense, "being low," or "having lots of energy." But, take this a step further: start thinking of food itself AS ENERGY. That's what it is! That's why we eat--to get energy. Calories are a measurement of energy, whether fat, carb or protein. This should imply that all food imparts energy equally, or that all calories ingested make us feel more energetic than we'd feel if we hadn't ingested them. Do they? Pay attention to what foods YOU feel give you energy. Do you feel alert or maybe like going for a run after eating a bag of potato chips? Or is that a food that TAKES your energy, makes you lethargic, tempted to eat a little more to get some "ummph" back? (Bad news is, even if it "takes" your energy, you still get the calories.) What makes your body feel fueled and ready for what you want to do, weather it's to do the yard work, finish a book without falling asleep, or redpoint that long-standing project climb? Think of your food as energy. What type of energy do you wish to cultivate? Then choose your fuel.

You know, every time we read that thing we're gaining weight. It's so real you can taste the chocolate right thru the computer screen. Don't ask me how I know that.

I can't wait to read what you write about that. (And, no, I don't want you to cheat. But we want to hear all about it, if you do. )

Except for rmncwrtr's saucy cupcake spill-all.

You were the one who asked what happened and told me to be honest so I was, Couloir. I was good today, no cheating at all. Wasn't even tempted thank goodness. You're killin' us here! Guess there'll be no sizzling read tonight folks. Move along, nothing to look at here. Sigh.

You're only as old as who you feel.

You're a stud! Well done!

That's ok. Hey, it took me a lot of years to get to this age!

Tip for the day: SIZE MATTERS Food that's served in a small, deep dish makes portions appear bigger, and the illusion is a powerful one. (You'll think you're eating more than you really are.) Your eye registers height more so than actual volume(when I worked in the restaurant biz, presentation was paramount, as in "you eat with your eyes first," so we always built food displays "up" rather than "out".) Throw out your dinner plates--they're evil. Eat your cereal from a coffee mug, your dinner from a pie plate or pasta dish with high sides, your ice cream from a ramekin(custard cup). Your portions will magically shrink, and your appetite will still be satisfied. Once you lose the weight, continue this habit and you'll be in good stead to keep it from coming back. I've used this little trick for years.

Who's not smart?! That's a great analogy! I have a tattoo; I don't have kids. I'd get more tattoos.

I just had that very thing happen on my last outing(a cam on my rack caught the sling and lifted the nut out as I stepped past it). Trying to pretend it didn't happen was futile, though, because the free-range nut was pointed out by both my belayer and another person on the ground. Nothing like having an attentive audience. Cool, that book was also suggested by another cc.comer--I've ordered it and it's already on the way! I'm going to be so smart.

...and shop accordingly.

Wow. Dru has a date. But only if he brings a #4.

So, what happened? Be honest. The girls were finishing their dinner and I was going to pass out dessert, cupcakes. (They'd polished off all the choc. covered strawberries when they arrived.) I wasn't too worried about a cupcake lust incident after surviving the chocolate dipping earlier, even though as soon as I opened the plastic container, the sweet scent of the icing made my mouthwater. I chalked the reaction up to not eating dinner yet. The first two cupcakes came out of container easily, but the third one was harder. After I placed it on a plate, I noticed icing on my finger. Just a little bit so I ignored it, thinking I would just wash my hands when I was done. (Yes, I really believed I was capable of washing it off and admit freely to being totally delusional at that point due to lack of sleep and hunger.) With each cupcake, a little more icing accumulated on my fingers. The icing was looking pretty good and I was even imaging what it tasted like, but I figured I was safe. And then disaster struck. A cupcake fell sidewards out of the packaging and hit my hand leaving not a dab, but a dollop of icing. Big enough to warrant a second look. Okay, a third look. I put that cupcake back and passed out another one instead. But when I pulled back my hand, something happened. There was perhaps a nanosecond of hesitation, a tiny cry of self-control, but too late. My hand didn't reach for another cupcake, but headed straight for my mouth. My tongue immediately darted out to lick the frosting off. Oh, man. I felt a tingle in my tummy. The icing tasted so good after what I'd been eating, and not eating, since Monday. I hadn't even had a drop of alcohol all week, either. But I figured no biggie. What was one little taste even if it was as close to Heaven as I'd been in days? I used messiness as my excuse to justify my action since I still had other cupcakes to pass out. After all, I couldn't get icing all over the cupcake holders, right? I switched the container to the hand I'd just licked since I didn't want to get my germs on the remaining ones and continued passing out the cupcakes. Not a good idea since I'm right handed and that meant even more icing on my fingers. I was pretty much a goner by now. With each additional spot, my wanting to slurp and suck the dabs of white off intensified. Had there been extra cupcakes I would have licked the icing off one of them without a second thought. But there wasn't, so I didn't. I managed to control myself until all the twelve cupcakes were passed out. Then I stepped into the kitchen. I wanted to enjoy this alone because I didn't know when I'd get another chance for icing in the next six weeks. Slowly I licked the icing off, savoring the sweetness and texture, until nothing but the faint sugary smell remained on my fingers. Lesson learned: do not put oneself in a position to be tempted. OMG, that has got to be, without exception the best Cupcake TR I have EVER read. I was on the edge of my seat, I could see it unfolding, like when you yell "nooooooo" at the movie screen when the teenagers head BACK into the chainsawyer's house, and yet, even though I could almost taste the icing on your fingers myself, I thought, "don't worry, she'll be ok, if she's coherent enough to be worried about germs(they're kids, they're made of germs!), she's got her wits about her" but then, almost inevitably IT happened. It was sad, tragic even, but tender. We're all human, afterall, right? We have needs that can't be met with celery sticks. In fact, it was a downright beautiful moment. Full of sweetness and guilt, seduction and passion, frosting.... I need a cigarette.

No wonder you're so smart! I devoured those Bach books, but I hadn't heard of Running from Safety. How'd I miss that one? But Pooh is still my fave. That silly ol' bear.

Um, I think I just burned a few calories looking at your new avatar. Is it getting hot in here???

Pooh is a Tao Master.only he doesn't know it so that makes him even more awsome at Taoism. So Muffy, have you read, "The Tao of Pooh?" Sounds like it--that is an awesome book. One of my most favorites. "The Te of Piglet" wasn't as good, IMHO. What do pigs know. piglet is the most interesting character in the whole winnie the pooh series. he is the only character that reaches beyond himself and becomes something more than what he was. he is a very small animal, but he learns that even very small animals can be brave. I have read the Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet honestly i love them both. Well, shoot, now I feel stoopid for missing all those subtleties of Piglet's personality. Piglet just seemed ditzy and self-absorbed to me. Now I'll have to go back and re-read. It'll be interesting to see how it goes the second time around. That kind of stuff usually strikes different chords, depending on what space/place you are in in your life when you read it. Did you read any Bach? Power of One, Jonathon Livingston Seagull? A little new-agey, but still good food for thought.

Pooh is a Tao Master.only he doesn't know it so that makes him even more awsome at Taoism. So Muffy, have you read, "The Tao of Pooh?" Sounds like it--that is an awesome book. One of my most favorites. "The Te of Piglet" wasn't as good, IMHO. What do pigs know.

Yes, all in the book. The trailhead is just around the corner from the Playground Point trailhead. Hammerhead Rock is a good landmark to look for from the road.

Are you offering?

Clamshell has a couple fun 5.9 bolted lines, around three 5.10+, and a couple 5.6-8 trad lines that are top-ropable. You can easily kill an afternoon there, getting in a little of everything.

I don't have one of those yet.

Thanks, that's good food for thought. Should be easy to keep that in mind on those easier pitches where I'm more tempted to forgo a placement due to how solid the climbing feels, but since I'm not struggling to fire a placement on a sketchy run, it's just as easy to put in two pieces for the price of one when I do stop. I like.

Clamshell Cave. 10-15 minute approach. Nice mix of moderate sport and trad routes.