Child Support

[Pencil_Pusher]

I guess I have enough friends already. Maybe that's my problem, I'm not kissing your ass.

I think the real deal is what I saw here a while ago. Someone pointed out that we perceive what someone types as having a way-more asshole attitude than the way they typed it and meant to communicate it. Perception problems abound.

That and some people's self-identity is lived through this website and their screen names.

Jon and Tim providing, I'm not going to quit posting here, "Retro".

[Dennis_the_Menace]

My turn to bitch. May I start by saying that I believe all fathers should support their children, as I have done faithfully for the last 10 years.

Once again the bimbo beast bitch from hell is taking me back for more money. She has not worked in 10 years. She has neither gained a skill or any education to increase her earning capacity in that time. Needless to say, my wife is not pleased, as more cash now goes out the door, meaning less for my family.

Penalized for working hard, seeing white trash rewarded for keeping the couch warm.

Thank you for your time, I remain,sincerely

a menace

[Pencil_Pusher]

With an Occupation listing of "Undecided", keep working hard, bro.

[Retrosaurus]

Still making friends David?

Not the sharpest pencil in the box, are ya

[Bronco]

Thought this would be the best place to spray about some crazy bastard dragging his crying little kid across the Cowlitz glacier yesterday afternoon. For those of you who havent slogged on Rainier's South side this is the jump off point for teams leaving Camp Muir and where you would rope up. Cries of "NOOO DADDY" echoed. I couldent stand it and started out onto the glacier, stopped, talked to a RMI guide reading a patagucci cataloge who had talked to the guy and his daughter. She said they had also checked in with a climbing ranger prior to starting across and hoped he didn't take a crevase fall becuase the little girl woulden't be able to stop him. I start and stop trying to anticipate what I would say or do when I caught them. Being the parent of a kid myself I decided the guy must have an idea of what he is doing and the climb was probably well planned and the kid was just scared because of the thundering rockfall. The weather is perfect for the next couple of days, all snow cover is gone from the glaciers so most crevasses are visible justify it all you want, if you don't do something you are just as bad as the other people at camp muir just pretending they dont hear anything. Finally it looked like the pair had turned around and I suddenly felt pretty embarassed to be out there to lecture this man on the virtues of parenthood and scurried back to camp muir, grabbed my wife and hurried down the mountain. I'm glad the confrontation didn't occur, parenting is not easy in the mountains or in the home.

My thoughts for the day.

[Beck]

I've seen good parents and bad parents in the outdoors, thanking my lucky stars I'm not a parent as the job looks very challenging.

As to Bronco's post on hauling a kid screaming "NOO DADDY!" across the Cowlitz,

It sounds like he just turned his kid off from an enjoyable future in climbing. Good, job, Buddy. You let your "summit dreams" totally terrorize your daughter.

[MysticNacho]

Wow, some buddies of mine said they saw a man carrying a baby under one arm down from the summit of pinnacle peak on the same day. Wonder if it was the same gomer? I can't believe some people these days!

[Dwayner]

I witnessed the baby on Pinnicle Peak incident. It was probably the most irresponsible thing I'd ever seen in the mountains. My students and I were just starting up the south face when we heard what must have been a one year old (or younger) screaming up near the top. A bunch of people were downclimbing and we could see a baby backpack with a tiny head flopping back and forth. A couple of minutes later, the baby was removed (to calm it?) and was seen tucked under dad's arm while he tried to downclimb on fairly slick and steep rock liberally covered with scree. It was a disaster ready to happen and the students were horrified. A member of the party told me that "they take the baby everywhere they go", that's right, mom was up there with him and didn't seem to have any problem with the idea that the dad might easily slip or drop the kid. When this guy came down, I suggested that his kid should at least be outfitted with a helmet to which he noted that I wasn't wearing one. One of the students quickly pointed out that the baby didn't have much to say in this matter. Anyway, we were relieved when they reached flat ground, and marveled at the sheer stupidity of it all. That was on Saturday. On Sunday, we got to watch a group of several Mountaineers or such climb up steep rotten rock (some in big dorky plastic ice boots) on Castle Peak to a virtual deadend. There were four of them strung out, knocking down big rocks, and the one in front seemed to be dragging a rope in his hand. When I mentioned to one of their party that they seemed to be going the wrong way, I was asked by the smartass if I knew where I was going (yah, pal, I was on a trail!) and was assured that they knew exactly what was going on. It was hilarious to watch only in the sense that they figured a way off and no one got hurt. Just another exciting weekend in the Tatoosh Range! Go figure!

- Dwayner