Your guide to the perilous waters of the internet

4-13-08

Did everybodies taxes yesterday. I did a freelance job last winter that I'd entirely forgotten about. Uncle Sam hadn't forgotten though, and I had to pay him $575 yesterday in taxes. I probably had some of that saved, but had spent it...I guess I need a business savings account for stuff like that.

Fortunately us adjuncts just got a larger than normal check and I was able to cover that and still have some left over for savings. We don't know why we get these large checks every now and then, usually in the spring, and we don't ask.

It sucked doing taxes yesterday because it was sunny and warm...and I sat at the damn computer all day. Today I need to change the oil in the truck and maybe lube the ball joints while I am under there. We'll get some exercise somewhere after I get a hair cut.

Clint had two interviews last week for an after school job as a nurse technician. They've already called his boss at the plant nursery so they must have liked him. He said that if they hire him, he's almost guaranteed to be bumped up to an RN position in August when he graduates.

I wish I'd gotten into nursing back in 99 instead of web design. I'd be rolling in dough...vacations in Hawaii, wintertime flights to sunny climbing...sigh.

Well at least I have a fairly low pressure job...lots of opportunities for creativity and friendly conversation. Web Design is cool, it's just that I don't get to do much of it. I'm almost always teaching basics as opposed to cutting edge design. If I had the energy I'd write a new lesson on high end design, but that requires staying home on a weekend instead of climbing.

4-8-08

Sue and I climbed at the Peshastin Pinnacles last weekend. Other than her nervous breakdown on Potholes, we had a great time. Well, she didn't like west face either as she had to grab many of the bolts...but other than all that it was fun. For a while there I thought she was so rusty she was beyond hope. She did get up porpoise, gray whale and sunset slab, but her learning curve is so steep from where she is to where I am.

I shouldn't be surprised since I gave up on climbing with her a year ago and have been climbing with people young enough to be my kids...or grandkids in some cases. I got used to the runnouts at the pinnacles after a few routes. Some of them are so bad you would deck if you fell, but the climbing is easy enough that you just have to keep your cool and keep going up until you eventually reach a bolt or a friend placement. It really narrows your focus because you know there is no one there to rescue you, and you have to swallow the heebie jeebies and climb, thinking about nothing but the next move.

That very narrow focus is a peaceful place to be. I want to go there again.

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