Ken-Plucky! (Part II)

This is how we managed to climb in the rain - check out that overhang! (Our friend J. who met us down there from St. Paul)


Brandon belaying new friend Michael on "Too Many Puppies"

Friends naughtily giving Whiskey people food (this happened all week, despite our best efforts).

Michael from Australia on the start of "Too Many Puppies". We teased him about not being able to make the climb after the group of bikini-clad climbers left.

The I.C. on "To Defy the Laws of Tradition". Check out that sexy brain-bucket!

B. with his Kentucky woman (he looks thrilled!)

Whiskey watching Brandon climb

Brandon with his make-shift stick-clip (for clipping those first bolts that are a bit too high for comfort). Again, check out that overhang!

Brandon attempting to send "Return of Chris Schneider".

Deciding where to climb for the day

Waiting out the rain with Whiskey

Brandon cleaning a climb

People keep asking, "What did Whiskey do while you were climbing?" 98% of the time, this is what she did.


Brandon starting a climb, with a spot from new friend Scott


Brandon attempting to dry out all his earthly possessions, which were soaked the first night of the trip when the I.C. left the tent vestibule open.
Brandon trying to revive the coffee filters after they fell in a rain puddle.

Stay tuned for Part III of the trip, entitled, "Taking the muddy dog to visit the in-laws on the way home!"

Ken-Plucky! (Part I)

Well, B. had a whole 2 weeks off before summer session of school started, so we packed up the camping and climbing gear, threw the dog in the car, and headed down to Red River Gorge, Kentucky.

Whiskey is an excellent car dog - of the 14 hour trip, she spent two hours doing this:

And 12 hours doing this. She's quite the sleeper.

We stayed at a place called Miguel's Pizza, which is quintessential dirt bag camping. Miguel lets climbers stay in his goat pasture for $2/night, and in return he makes a lot of money selling pizzas to hungry dirty climbers.

There's no real rhyme or reason to the camping - just pick a spot and throw your tent down. If more people come, just squeeze in tighter. This photo was taken later in the week - a paltry showing compared to the crowd on Memorial Day Weekend.

There's a covered area for cooking if it rains (and it rains every day), and there's lots of cool wood carvings that Miguel does on the off season.

This part of Kentucky (called "The Red" if you're in the know) is green green green, thanks so the bounty of rain they receive. Here's a few shots of the area:

Rain, and more rain

The Nada Tunnel - this long crazy tunnel blasted through a rock wall. Even crazier, it's single lane, so before you proceed to have to make sure someone else isn't already in the tunnel. Apparently Van Halen took his tour bus through the tunnel once.

Local architecture

Thus concludes Part I - stay tuned for Part II, which actually includes the climbing!

Enjoy the Fountain....but not too much

This last weekend, the I.C. (moi) and Whiskey went to Madison to visit Whiskey's foster mommie. We went to a very nice botanical garden, complete with signs of things you were not allowed to do.

.

After some looking around, I was not able to find a "Do Not Ride Stone Elephant" sign. Good thing too!

April Day

Slack-lining: a sign of spring.

We're barely past April, but I thought I'd sneak this one in. I first read this poem when I was in grade school, and it struck a chord with me. But then, I wasn't able to find it again for years. For some reason, most people never found it appropriate to put in Robert Frost Anthologies. In fact, I had begin to doubt that it was a Robert Frost poem. But now, with the magic of the interwebs, I found it again.

The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You're one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
A cloud comes over the sunlit arch,
A wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you're two months back in the middle of March.
-Robert Frost

Love in a Time of Hanta

Just so our parents' don't worry - yes, we are wearing masks and gloves. Hanta-be-gone! (There actually have never been any cases of Hanta in Minnesota, but we could be the first!)

Full of Surprises

The bathroom, like much of the rest of the house, is unfortunate. First of all, it's small, and it's off of the kitchen (which I swore I would avoid when house hunting, but oh well). Second of all, the former occupants decided to decorate in an underwater motif. Green ceiling, blue walls, fish border, and stupid stickers of fish and other sea creatures. I've actually torn the stickers down, because I didn't like them. You can still see their stupid little ghostly images though.



After we tore the siding off, we discovered that there actually used to be a window to this bathroom! I wonder if the former owners said to themselves ones day - you know what would make this bathroom even worse? Removing a window! Needless to say, we are putting window back in!

Better than a black cat...

The previous occupants of the house "finished" the basement by putting in a drop ceiling, and wood paneling over the cinder blocks. We decided to unfinish it - so that the electrician could correct all the do-it-yourself wiring, and because it was hideous and smelled of cats.
Scary wiring, scarier paint job.

Not sure if Pepto-Dismal pink is ever going to come back....

While pulling down the ceiling, I discovered why drop ceilings are bad. Because you create a large dark habitat for mice and rats. There were years and years worth of droppings and old poison bait cartridges that people had been shoving up there. Under the drop ceiling, plywood furring, and asbestos wrapping, we found this little gem - a single specimen of a very old deck of girly playing cards. I have blacked out her goodies in order to afford her a modicum of modesty. Just thought I'd share the bounty.

Don't Call this Number...

...if you didn't pay attention in school. Because you can't read it.

Even if you did pay attention is school, and you CAN read it, you won't be able to remember this number. Worst advertising idea...ever.

One thing they can agree on...

The couch is super comfy.

(Sorry mom.....I meant to say, "On which they can agree...")

Bringing Down the House (or the siding, at least)

Before:

They tore off the yellow asbestos siding! The original wood lap is under - (it's actually very uncomfortable to sit in a wood lap). The next step is to wrap the house in a cozy fiberglass sweater and put new siding on! I know some folks think siding is hideous, but I doubt those people have to see what Minnesota winters do to wood siding. More to come!

After: