two reasons my arms are so sore:

1. i spent all day friday and saturday climbing with my dad in maple canyon. i haven't climbed outdoors since july (we went once in the alps and i only climbed two routes), and have barely managed to climb indoors since then due to lack of a partner. the result? no skills. i belayed my dad as he flew up 5.11's, while i panted up 9's and 10's (screaming take! take! far too many times along the way)...ah well. there have been times when i've been really good, i swear.

regardless, it was alot of fun being outside.

-we camped in the canyon and froze our butts off at night (i cant recall any other time in my life when i've needed to include a beanie, wool socks and a fleece jacket as part of my pyjamas, and that was inside my heavy duty sleeping bag)
-we saw deer
-we sampled the culinary offerings of mt. pleasant and fountain green.
-we had a really amusing chance meeting that is an added testimony to the small world theory.
here's a recap:
flash back to last spring, my dad and i are climbing in red rocks, just outside of vegas, and find ourselves on a multi-pitch route stuck behind a group of two or three other climbers. so we do the only thing we really can do as we cling to the rock at the belay stations: chat it up!
flash forward to this past weekend, my dad and i are parked on the side of the small dirt road in the canyon, and start pulling out our backpacks and gear. an escalade drives past, decked out with life is good stickers and various climbing logos. the cadillac stops about 30 feet past us, backs up, one of the windows rolls down and a guy sticks his head out and exclaims:
"you're a byu student, and your dad's from france! we climbed together at red rocks!" though we are somewhat taken aback, we respond with laughter and some "good to see you again" type things.
i wonder where we'll run into them next.

in the meantime, here are some photos




2. last night, i decided that i really wanted to try making pasta from scratch; ravioli, to be specific.

so i did, and let me tell you, it was laborious.

we don't have a pasta dough flattening machine yet, so me and that rolling pin i mentioned in my last post had ourselves a party. i feel like that was just as good a workout as climbing, but now i am seriously coveting one of these babies: