Singles ward: the last

For my final post about the craziness I call the singles ward, I was about to (and planning on doing so for some time) talk bad about the ol YSA singles ward, but I think I've done that enough (see posts under "The Ol' YSA Singles Ward").

There are some pretty great people there.

So instead of being THAT douchebag who drives off with the one-finger salute high in the air through the driver's-side window, I'll give a little thank you shout out.

Hopefully this doesn't sound too much like a suicide note or high school yearbook signing session.

• As weird as he often is, Awkward Guy has a good heart. He's a loyal friend. Even though he forgets his wallet whenever we go hang out (he probably just realizes how cool Heather is), he knows all the girls and introduces me. It's hard to be a bad friend when a trade like goes down.

• Baseball Guy is the only one at church today who told me he didn't want me to go back to Logan. The best part was he meant it, which is really nice to know that I actually did make a couple new friends. Sorry bro, there's no way I'm transferring from where the sagebrush grows to stay in Midvale, unless I was offered my dream job with the Salt Lake Tribune. 

• While this list is in no particular order, Climbing Girl would be very near the top of people I'd miss if it were. Even though she didn't miss a chance early on to expose me as the fool I am, we became good friends and confidants to each other. And of course, climbing in Logan with people who aren't her will be a different experience. 

• Climbing Guy provided many good times, both on the rock walls and off. He was pretty much the only one in Midvale worthy of real bro talk. Drink runs won't be the same in Logan without your unfiltered thoughts about women and guns. I'll miss you man, no homo. 

• Ginger was one of the first friends I had in Midvale. Even though she kinda drifted away about a month after I got here, the first month would have sucked without us playing "make-fun-of-the-girl-who-raises-her-hand-all-the-time-in-sunday-school" with her cool basketball-playing ginger friend. 

• It's a bummer I didn't hang out with BYU Idaho Girl nearly as much as I would have liked, but she is still cool and definitely one of the people I'll call up when I periodically come back to Salt Lake. 

• Big Talker is flighty, she was a blast to climb with. Overall a chill woman, and definitely a 2 on a scale of 1 to 2 (a compliment, I assure you).

There are others I have undoubtedly left off of this list for one bonehead reason or another, and to those great people I apologize, so try not to be offended if you know how awesome you are.

Playing hard

I'm a little sore. I know, embarrassing.

Day 1: Work. Up a 5 a.m.

Climbing. A pumpy 5.9, a 10A with a roof, what felt like a loooong 10-something, and finishing off with a 5.6 lead. Usually not a big deal, but I haven't climbed in about a month.

Softball. Wow I sucked. How do you walk a guy in slow pitch softball? How did I walk two? Anyway, I reached on an error, flied out twice, and allowed 5 unearned runs from the circle to almost singlehandedly lose the game.

Day 2: Work. Get up at 5, worked from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Hike. Met up with my cousin and her cute friend and others to hike up the canyon to some lake. There's a lot less air up here than there was in the lower elevation of Minnesota.

Cliffdiving. In a word? Awesome. In another word? Cold.

Down. We ran down the mountain because some other people were a little bit more pressed for time than I was. It felt good. Really good. It took me back to my high school cross country days. Well, the good ones anyway. It was fun to run with girls too.

Back to my Cousin's house. Man I'm starving. I make a ham sandwich, change out of my still-not-dry gym shorts. Look at the clock, shout bye and run out to my dad's truck.

Volleyball. Okay, I've never played organized volleyball before. I've played around at track banquets and on the beach or whatever, but really the extent of my volleyball knowledge is bump, set, spike. The players there were a lot better than I. The volleyball girl I went with played in college, and her friend was good too.

I still don't know if they were just being nice, but they said I picked it up fast and was pretty talented. It was a ton of fun, and all for free! I'm definitely going again next week.

And this time there is no way I'm going to let the team with the one-armed guy beat me again...

Climbing all night

When 5$ climb night at the rock wall rolled around last Friday, I was pretty stoked.

Earlier that day, I worked up the courage to ask the cute girl at work to come with, and she was pretty excited too. This was probably going to turn out to be a double-win night.

The bad news: Work Girl bailed. The good news: I got a text from a friend who is in Salt Lake working for Usana, and she wanted to come with.

I don't know if it was because I was so excited to hang out with Usana or if I just haven't lived in Salt Lake for a good five years, but I definitely took 7th west instead of Monroe and got there about 15 minutes later than I should have.

Anyway, it was a good time. Usana, Rock Climber, Awkward, a girl whose sounds exactly like another old friend of mine, and a few others from the ol' YSA singles ward climbed the night away among the masses at Momentum.

It was good to practice a bunch of 5.10 climbs, but it's weird climbing indoors because there's no creativity in the routes you climb. There are set holds and one way to climb each wall, unlike outdoors where you can use anything you can get your hands on.

I tried a chimney, but didn't get very high. My right foot slipped when I was trying a knee jam, and my ankle slammed into the wall in front of me, causing a momentary silence after a huge bang echoed out from where I hit. Maybe it just seemed loud because I was inside the crack.

All in all, it was a good time. I couldn't pinch my fingers together without pain by the end, but I got to spend a good time with friends, hang out with a girl I haven't seen in yonks, and met a new climbing buddy for this fall in Logan.

CENSORED

Author's note: The following post has been edited to avoid twisting the truth in any way in an attempt to not offend certain readers (see previous post).

Rock Climber, Jordan and I...

Wait I shouldn't name names. Let's try again.

I went rock climbing with two other people.

Hmm, maybe naming the activity is too specific also.

I hung out with two other people and performed an undisclosed recreational activity.

Yep, that'll do.

The three of us may or may not have done the previously mentioned anonymous activity one or more times at one or more locations somewhere in Big Cottonwood Canyon. the United States of America.

While it would be improper to mention whether or not the activity was fun, whether there is visual evidence of said activity, or any memories whatsoever, let it suffice by saying the recreational activity took place and was, in fact, recreational and nothing more.

Wow, what a boring post, at least I didn't offend anyone. Hopefully.

Well, I guess that's the price I'll have to pay to keep friends in Salt Lake.

A good find

Through my life, I've tried to find the best ways to attract Da Ladies.

There are more obvious methods, such as having a puppy or baby with you, playing guitar, dancing, etc. I've used most of those.

There are less-obvious hooks, like being confident, having goals in life, wearing aviators and having a beard, etc. I've used all of those.

I never knew that a hobby like rock climbing would be so effective at finding Da Ladies.

Rock climbing 3: better than before

This is me at the beginning of the most difficult climb I've ever completed, a 5.10a. Not bad for the third time ever climbing outdoors. 

The guy belaying me is Rock Climber, who helped me get great deals on my gear. 

Almost to the crux...

It's hard to see, but I had to pull myself over the roof with basically no footholds. I felt really cool when I got it. First try today!

Coming down...

This is the hardest climb I've ever attempted, a 5.10b. I got halfway before my arms gave out. 

Props to Big Talker and Big Talker's Friend on photo duty...

That's me being lowered down after a humbling experience on a nasty overhang.

Standing around. Big Talker's Friend is staring at the wall in the black shirt. 

Oh, and here's Big Talker. She's a cutie, so I figured I'd reward all those who actually took the time to look at all the pictures. 

Rock Climbing

For my entire life I've lived within 20 minutes of canyons where the best rock climbing in the world is found. Say what you will about wasted opportunities, but today was my first time ever going.

Yeah, I scaled cliffs. Pretty dangerous. I felt a little bit like Chris O'Donnell in Vertical Limit.

Four of us from the ol singles ward jumped in my friend's truck and went up Big Cottonwood Canyon to some trail my Friend found in this sketchy book from the library. Friend and one of the girls put harnesses on, said some weird climbing words, and Friend climbed up to fasten the rope to the chains at the top of the wall.

When he came down, Belay Girl took the rope and had her turn, cleaning all the carabiners off the bolts as she went.

The other girl went third as I crammed my toes into the climbing shoes Friend obtained for the occasion.

"How hard is this one supposed to be?" I asked.

I was told not to worry about it. How comforting.

"Just put your hands where the chalk residue is," Rapel Girl said after she landed from her descent. "That's what I did because I've never climbed outdoors before."

I'm not sure I went exactly where I was supposed to, but I eventually got to the top and enjoyed a nice rapel back down.

The next one was harder.

I looked up couldn't see any obvious holes. There were a few cracks that looked unsuitable for anything larger than a blade of grass, and just before the top there was a ridiculous overhang that couldn't possibly be part of the climb, right?

I started my ascent and told the girls one of them could have my guitar if I died. It wasn't actually too bad until the overhang. I tried going around, diagonally, and a variety of other ways to get past the lip, all to no avail. The only option was to reach over for a jagged handhold and pull myself up while my legs flailed below.

I failed. My forearms burned, and I could barely lock my fingers onto the jutting rocks, much less pull myself over them.

We ended on an easy one with lots of holes. It proved only a little more difficult than climbing a ladder in some places, which was nice for my ego after failing to pull a Spiderman on wall number two.

Overall, the trip was a success. Even though I can't play guitar because my forearms are dead....