My sweetie is gone!

Well, not quite yet -- but effectively so, since I'm at work until after she leaves. And, she will make an approximately 5 hour re-appearance, to manically unpack then repack after her Saskatchewan trip, but before her AT departure. But, really, when I dropped her off at MEC (yes, we've been to MEC many times in the last little while) this morning, that was good bye.

I'll miss her. I'll miss her horribly.

But, I love her, and I wish her well on her journey. I hope that everything goes well for her. And, I understand more deeply how an ex- of mine felt when I headed off to Europe for 3 months of cycling.

North Wind, may the winds blow you gently, but firmly, in the direction you will travel. May the trail treat you kindly, and may you have the best hike you could possibly have. My love goes with you.

Looking for a climbing partner...

Wall-climbing, at a rock gym, that is.

My primary wall-climbing partner is out of town for the next several months, and my alternate climbing partner is both a scuba diver (and it is the season) and has a new baby. So, this has left me without anyone to climb with.

So, if anyone is interested in doing, or trying and maybe liking, wall-climbing, I'm looking for someone to climb with. (And, don't worry about mis-matched skill levels, at a rock gym it is very easy for us to each find our own level, and climb at it.)

The two places I've climbed are: Vertical Reality which is about a 5-minute drive from my place, and Coyote which is near St Laurent and Innes.

Coyote is $12/day pass, plus $3 each for shoe & harness rental if you don't have your own.
Vertical Reality is $10/day pass, $2.50 each for shoe & harness rental, $5.00 after 9pm. (open until midnight M-F, 11pm Sat&Sun).

If you have not belayed before (what the person not climbing does, to keep the climber safe), both will teach you how to do it the first time, for a small fee. I think $5.00 at Vertical, not sure how much (or free?) at Coyote.

My equipment package was about $200.00 at MEC -- they have a harness package, which if you buy it with shoes gives 10% off harness package and shoes. Total price will, of course, vary depending on the price of the shoe you pick.

Anyone? Anyone? Beuler?