E5?

It seems I've been fairly busy since the last post. The 3 year funding period on my studies has now ceased and I saw last Fri as my absolute stopping point for simulation work. I managed to hit that deadline early, by about a day.

Not so long ago, both Nat and I took out Foundry memberships (3 months). The weather hadn't been so great and we were both rushing all over the place and it seemed to make sense. Now it doesn't. I simply can't believe how much time I've managed to accumulate on Grit over the past few weeks, so much so I can barely remember the last time I pulled on plastic (I'm no doubt kitten weak).

I've also managed to accumulate a satisfying amount of stars from routes that really deserved some attention in the logical order of things rather than now. However, as I was reminded on Saturday night "better late than never..."

Its here that I'd like to post my current long term aim; I'd love to be solid at E5. Not able to get up one or two but solid. Like Reeve but without the fluffy hair. Irrespective of style, rock type or angle. This popped up into discussion twice on Saturday night, once with a boulderer and once with someone I'd class as a pretty outstanding all-rounder. The conflicting opinions on the difficulty of this aim made me smile. Trad is easy, right?

Currently this aim fits in nicely with life and play. It allows Nat and I to climb together a lot of the time and really, it doesn't require much in the way of training. Simply a will to get out and try. Consolidation seems to be the name of the game and I'm just about getting into territory where life becomes quite interesting, esepcially on Grit (is it just me or is the floor always a little too close for comfort?).

This brings me to my next point:

At the back end of last week I found myself at Black Rocks, camera in hand for this:

The forecast said it was to be "the hottest day of 2011 so far" which somehow didn't seem to affect the Solution wearing Italian cruising up Gaia. It did however effect me. Driving back through the Peak district I was suddenly very concious of how much I like Sheffield and the surrounding area. Ok, so Matlock Bath shouldn't set anyone's world alight but looking up at the evening sunshine on High Tor followed by a quick nip through Chatsworth and many Fawn crossing the road, to the last of the evening light hitting the grit edges neighbouring the city; all left me with the strong desire to remain living in Sheffield. Something that both Nat and I have discussed recently with a view of moving to Leeds.

Thankfully she feels the same.

Photies

Consistency

Consistency doesn't seem to be my game at the minute (apart from consistently posting the below photos that is).
The weekend was good and we spent it pootling about trying to capture some vague psych for the brown rock. It worked, although nothing (remotely)hard was targeted; instead it was like doing a good days circuiting.

Saturday was Stanage far right where once Nat and I had stopped bickering like pro's we both enjoyed what was mainly sideways shuffling.



Sunday was a much shorter day and mostly involved playing with flashes with a bit of climbing thrown in. Its nice to tick a few more bits and bobs off the list of glaring omissions although I've now done purple haze and its variants a worrying number of times.

I think the few things that remain (or were added) to the list, reside on Staffordshire brown stuff and require a fair bit more effort both in driving (being awake) and pulling (Tetris being the main target I think).

Back inside I've fallen into the Tues/Thurs routine quite happily although its been mostly spent at the Works (the Foundry got a little dull). I've been trying my best to use the deviant comp style problems to try and improve my total failure when it comes to toe-hooking. Thankfully its working well and on Tues I managed to tick off a few bits that seem like a walk in the park to most people; they were a hell of a struggle!

I also had a brief flirtation with the board and I liked it. The cruel tease that she is however was evident last night as I waved at small holds that I hadn't a hope of holding. (5+3)c Mawson demo'd the problems and is looking in good shape for the upcoming Malham season.

This week I managed to add yet another flash to my arsenal of photographic equipment and for a pittance (£5, it would have been £2.50 if the other unit didn't contain decaying batteries). Whats even more remarkable than a photographic bargain is the fact that I survived playing around with electronics (the unit needed modifying) with no electrocution, only temporary blindness from firing a full pop about an inch from my face!

Futility

Most people (if there's anyone still out there?) are probably using Feed readers of some sort and therefore didn't notice that the blog had been turned to 'Private' and that my mindless spilling of ill conceived thoughts hadn't infected their brain for a few months.

I hadn't gone all shy nor was I mid way through signing an exclusive deal with 'Eat Natural' or in my case 'My Protein or Wine', simply put; I wanted to get more work done and like many other things a blog is a way to waste time. Albeit a small piece of time but enough that when you add all of your little vices together they create a black hole of productivity. Its not that you don't achieve anything, its just not directly useful.

Forums are the worst for this, idle chatter or otherwise searching for knowledge on something that ten years ago you'd have just paid for. BUT now I know where the washer fluid hose connections are, isn't that right skoda?

Another example; I was recently dragged kicking and screaming into 2011 with an Android phone. I hadn't been missing twitter (on which I finally concede Dobbin was correct), weather updates, or even to the minute updates on my inbox but now I have it, I use it. I've also spent a great deal of time fiddling with various setups, reading about custom ROM's and even java based app development. Not only that but I've set up my array of recently acquired tech so I can stream my media throughout the house... and so that it'll sync a few playlists when it comes in range of my home wifi. Not content with this, I then wasted a good portion of a day trying to get my media streaming to my TV via an xbox, and naturally using a different media server (as XBOX 360's only seem to digest .wmv) that can transcode.

Iteration 1 of this procedure led to breaking my OS on two computers, the firmware of my router and a whole lot of wasted time. Iteration 2 worked well, although the 15m ethernet cable is trying its best to break my legs.

Still not content I set around setting up Tversity to forward my media to outside my network and even 3g. For no particular reason, other than I wanted to see if it worked and telling myself I'd use it at 'work', at which I have spotify anyway.

In a moment of stupidity I threw the custom (non supported) firmware from Magic Lantern onto my DSLR, ok it adds a lot of features that are really funky but that body wasn't cheap and I'm hardly a member of slackjaw. In fact, apart from 'tests' I've done very little with the video capability of the camera. I've read an awful lot.

As you can see, I'm not doing so well in the whole writing up phase of this project.

Climbing has been on the back foot; since going well at the Foundry I quickly became bored with the problems and trundled off for a love/hate session at the works (a different world). I had tried going out but I seem to have become a little soft as it was quite frankly unpleasant. Three problems in to the works session it remembered who I was and quickly tore something in my side as punishment, an intercostal probably but it hurt regardless. Ironically this then bound me to the works for the last 3 weeks or so as I've nursed it back to a modicum of health. Trying to alternatively lift your feet off the floor using an undercut and failing is slightly depressing.

Despite all of this, it is improving and up until the drunken exploits of this weekend (Jagermeister FFS) my works technique was going through some kind of boot camp. Having your feet swing off and instinctively stopping the motion leads to a mighty dose of pain which in turn soon becomes an incentive to find out exactly why that third toe hook isn't staying put!

In the spirit of time wasting I'll stop there, hopefully you stopped much much earlier.

VRS

Last weekend began with a whistlestop tour of the North half of England.

Sheffield > Liverpool > Darlington > Leeds > Sheffield > Stockport > Home then on Monday a quick 1-2 back to Stockport to pick up our newest car:

Before this we had a little too much money tied up in vehicles with the Van and the Punto (which didn't seem to be attracting many lookers, none in fact). Thankfully they both sold, and fairly painlessly too leaving us room to economise slightly and be happy.
I have to say, I'm made up with this one. Like usual I spent an age trawling relative forums looking for the regular faults so that on inspection I knew what I was on about.

It was quite funny in some cases to see what some people considered to be 'Great' condition; I'd have said: parked repeatedly by a blind person in one case .'FSH' (Full service history), being a business card for a Skoda salesman who would "tell me what its had done" was another. Shame as the optional leather was rather tasty although not very grippy in the corners.

The one we ended up with I'd passed over on autotrader due to it only having three pictures, all of which were bad and showed nothing. After viewing the rest and a lengthy phone call with the backstreet dealer proved he knew a thing or two, we took a chance and slipped over the snake once more expecting disapointment. This one was perfect, gleaming bodywork, clean interior, smooth power, no pulling no torque steer (different engines in the '06 models producing a much smoother torque curve and 138bhp standard). The ability to remap these up to 170bhp without any hassle whatsoever has been on my mind and with my free-thinking insurance company it isn't a problem anyway but I honestly have to say this car doesn't need it and likely won't get it.

Already we're seeing 56mpg and I havent stopped using my heavy right foot despite the white stuff that seems to have stopped everything else. I feel a bit stupid that I discounted these when we bought the last Punto, they may have a few less toys but what they do have is so much better (side note: why on earth has skoda released the new VRS with a piddly petrol?) and thank f*ck its not a golf. Perfect as they are, unless its sporting a GTI/V5 badge (or upwards) Golfs are automotive beige.

Hopefully I'm on the money here and we can keep this one a while, I'm getting tired of buying and selling cars. 7 in as many years is a bit silly.

Nat was off the rest of the week and as I am snowed under with work (it isn't going well) we decided to stay around and sort out the many chores that are mounting up and finally sort the rest of the flat out. 20 ish litres of paint later and we've only got one more room to go.

My elbow started playing up before this week so I've taken some time off; this has done nothing. Tonight, after seeking the advice of someone qualified I think the prognosis isn't that bad. Pronator curls here we come!

...Furthermore, I have to say I'm blown away by Dave-wh0-isn't-a-racist 's latest ticklist. That man is on fire. I wonder if I buy some skull candy, start wearing camo and walk around with a questionable hand position whether I'll get stronger?

D.D.I.Y.

Dare I type? (well at least its now on this blog and not on the Boltfund website; fool)

I have to say that I don't think I've been this tired at midnight on a Sunday for quite some time. Last weekend, before heading out on the grit we decided to quickly strip down the bathroom to its barebones and re-grout the shower. Needless to say; heading out on the grit didn't happen.
There was obviously something up with the first pot of readymixed grout (I say this in hindsight) but to me, a newly inspired tiling DIY novice I didn't have a clue and merrily carried on spreading it between all of the tiles before returing for a pre-bouldering snack. On finishing (eagerly) I checked out my handywork and realised what an utter mess it was. Then began the process of removing it all, which took until about Sunday evening. At this point you begin asking yourself "What was wrong with the old bathroom?" and "How much is my time REALLY worth?".

Every night this week was spent in the (very small) bathroom, doing and re-doing everything from grout, electrical fittings, floor, paint and wall fixings. I managed a quick session on Tuesday night where even removing my weightbelt made no difference and I quickly scampered back home to do yet more DIY. This weekend the remainder of our flat/workshop (at this point) needed restoring to a habitable state BUT goddamit I was getting out on the grit! Well.. Not so much, as someone bought our van on Saturday morning, the new PC arrived, as too did the NAS. All bringing with them a new list of things to do. (Although to be honest shifting the van is a load of my mind, and a car will allow Nat to stop commuting by the godawful rail network that links Leeds and Sheffield thus buying us back around an hour a day!).

Its all setup now and I can't wait to get back to some kind of normal behaviour. I've got plenty of work to do but at least I've now got the tools to do it and its all laid out in front of me; do this, do that then write; a fuckload. Tomorrow I'm going to strive to learn LaTEX and see if it lightens or increases the load, then, and only then I might be able to climb although I'm not expecting much. I'm sure at some point my commitment will return fully (he says [types] sipping on Leffe).

Weight

Today was one of those days whereby a helpful collection company give you the time slot of 8am to 8pm and I was stuck in. My university license issue hasn't yet gone away and thus I had an unproductive day of the highest order.

Nat returned home (late again after another shocking day on the trains; morning cancellation of service, then return journey 30 mins late and half the carriages == travelling like sardines) exhausted and less than enthused by the Foundry. However, for me, cabin fever had truly set in and we were soon Foundry bound and recieving a soaking of the highest order on the ~5 minute walk.

Having now done a large proprtion of the problems (look at me etc. [actually I think its a fairly easy set]) and then doing most of them again on features I couldn't really work out what to do. I'm still in the stage of upping the intensity at a slow pace and the board and campus board all seemed a bit too much for my notoriously fragile fingers. Instead I had the genius thought of resurecting my weightbelt. Made from Decathlog ankle weights and some cheap webbing it is actually very good but I've never actually used it with intent.

During school time (you see what I did there?), I'd occasionaly add plates to myself, gain assistance (as my feeble legs weren't enough) to the bar and attempt to emulate a level of zippyness that I never truly managed. Other times I'd stick a few plates on and ladder on the moon board (on the system holds of course). A few times I'd attempt a problem Joe le Sauasage style (Basic Knitwear if you want the true tick). Never repeatedly and never with much focus.

Tonight I saw clearly. Problems, problems on features, problems with added weight, problems with added weight on features. Double the amount of problems; Result! Weightbelts seem fairly in vogue right now and what a difference a few Kg's make! Even sitting seemed like a lot of effort. Technique took a serious hit as I fought to keep myself in contact with the bendecrete wall of choice and with every completed problem came a joyous crunch to my knees as I hit the deck with added oomph. Reversing wasn't an option, I'd barely made it up there in the first place. I was having fun, recieving a spanking of my own design.

My better half was not; continually face planting on a problem wasn't (for some reason?) making her night. Towards the end of the session I felt compelled to see if my Gym Boss was still working (the answer is; barely) and took it next door to beneath the beastmaker. Belt in tow, I somehow felt Encores were a great idea. 3 sets of torture to be exact.

Sitting here now (on my tiny netbook, I miss my desktop already), my shoulder blades feel more worked than I can remember.

What a relief to unclip the buckle and drop a few kg's instantly. I bet all the fat bastards out there wish they had a buckle.

But they don't.