Aug 7 2008

how to get someone to stop parking in your parking spot

Let’s say you have an awesome parking spot. Maybe not as cool as the parking spots we have at OpenRain, but a good one nonetheless.

parking spot

What do you do if someone else jacks your spot? Leave them a nice, passive aggressive, note for them:
0721080945.jpg

Worked for me!


Aug 5 2008

i know it was a good weekend when…

…my car is covered in mud.

paradise forks (12)

Check out the rest of the pics from my trip to Paradise Forks a couple weekends ago.


May 13 2008

wii sports: the ab workout

Are you wanting to develop rock hard abs? Is the lack of a six pack impeding on your ability to attract members of the opposite sex? Is most exercise you get on a daily bases coming from your Wii? If you’ve answered “YES!” to any of these questions, the Wii Sports Ab Workout might be your road to success.

Follow these easy steps to get started with the Wii Sports Ab Workout:

Step #1: Load up Wii Sports and start a round of boxing.
Step #2: Hold the Wiimote with the toes on your right foot (If you cannot hold the Wiimote between your toes, you may consider attaching them to your feet, or a pair of sandals, using medical tape).
Step #3: Hold the Nunchuck with the toes on your left foot.
Step #4: Lay on the floor.
Step #5: BOX!

wii sports ab workout (4)

Note: you cannot use your arms/elbows to prop yourself up! It will require the use of your abs if you want to watch the screen.

For an extra bonus, play with a friend! The shear hilarity of the experience will make surely make you laugh until tears roll down your cheeks and thus increase the burn to your abdomen even further!


May 11 2008

i’m covered in bees!

Savoeun and I went climbing out at Sven Slab on Sunday and had a little unexpected adventure. The first route we hopped on was a lovely crack called One for the Road. I was half way up the first pitch, and thoroughly enjoying myself, when I started to get attacked by bees. I soon realized that the ledge at the top of the first was the home for a hive of killer bees. Bummer. Sav and I managed to retrieve all our gear, but I ended up getting stung in the face three times! So what’s it like getting stung in the face by killer bees?

im covered in bees!

It sucks. It doesn’t hurt, but it’s pretty uncomfortable. It’s a little comical too. I can’t smile or laugh and keep my eyes open at the same time!


Apr 22 2008

red rocks: community pillar

The past two weekend I’ve spent climbing in Red Rocks, Nevada. In these four short days I’ve climbed some of the most amazing, long, and fun routes of my climbing career. Of particular note is a route called Community Pillar. Now this climb might not be your typical “classic” route, but it was HILARIOUS. The amount of squeezing through improbable holes and up tight chimneys you do is mind blowing. And watching people attempt to go through holes they are fairly certain will get them stuck is entertainment like nothing else. Here’s a video I made for my climbing partner Erin who couldn’t join me because she’s in Nova Scotia:

You can check out the photos I took from both weekends here, and here.


Mar 12 2008

access to the mine area of queen creek

Sunday before last I spent an afternoon bouldering and sport climbing over at the Mine Area of Queen Creek. Over the past few months RCC has begun to restrict access to some of the areas of Queen Creek they own. Here’s a little update on the situation:

The road before the old parking area now has keep out signs…
queen creek mine area closures (2)

… and the old parking area itself now has a fence with razor wire, yikes!
queen creek mine area closures (5)

It’s not all bad news though. They’ve created a new parking area next to the road. There’s a new trail that someone has cleared from there, up the wash, and to the old trail.
queen creek mine area closures (6)


Dec 11 2007

favorite rainy day hike: peralta trail

The the past few weekends have been filled with deary rain for me. Three weeks ago we were rained out in Cochise Stronghold. The week after, it rained Friday and Saturday. Not wanting to let the rain get me down by spoiling my climbing plans, I went out and hiked my favorite rainy day hike: Peralta Trail. The trail head is located an hour or so from Phoenix (depending on where you’re coming from) on the southern edge of the Superstitions. It’s a very popular trail, with wonderful views, and a feeling of being completely in the wilderness. Here’s the reasons why I like this hike in the rain…

#1 The sound of running water is music to my ears. The trail follows and criss crosses with a wash as the trail makes it way up towards Fremont Saddle. Most of the time this wash is bone dry. When it rains it’s a completely different story. The sound of rushing water follows you through most of the hike. Rock hoping or even wading (when it rains enough) across the wash is always fun too.
stuff 212

#2 Waterfalls. Yes, that’s right. There’s waterfalls in the middle of the Arizona desert. You’ll see dozens of them off the ridges on either side of the trail.
stuff 322

#3 Hiking in the clouds is fun. It can also be disorienting. When it’s raining, the clouds like to hang low over the saddle. It’s awe inspiring to look up and see Zonerland or Weaver’s Needle partially hidden in wisps of mist.
stuff 301

stuff 290

You can check out the rest of my pics from the hike here. Unfortunately my camera somehow got set to low resolution resulting in pics that look like ass. If you really want to see them in high res, get out there and hike it yourself. It’s a great trail.


Oct 11 2007

another funny climbing shirt

For all you hot climbing ladies out there, I’ve got just the shirt for you:

Is your harness too tight or are you happy to see me?

Fellas, don’t feel left out. I’ve got a shirt for you too.



Oct 9 2007

pictures page

I’ve added a pictures page to my blog. It’s just a slide show of my most recent flickr photos, but makes for a nice way of checking out my latest shenanigans.


Jan 12 2007

my holiday in photos

My roommate making a huge batch of Christmas cookies:
Picture 013

Roomies decorating a gigantic tree.
Picture 001

My parents LOVED Wii Sports. It was amazing to watch them pick it up and play with little instruction.
Picture 033
We spent a day fishing on Hagler Creek.
Picture 052

I caught a nice 12 incher!
Picture 089

My dad and I took a ATV ride out to Hells Gate… amazing views in the middle of nowhere.
Picture 096

The next day we woke up to snow, here’s my brother being crazy:
Picture 099

We built the biggest snowman I’ve ever created.
Picture 123

My mom took a few more pictures of it after we left…
christmas 06 young 041

RIP Snowman Bob
christmas 06 young 044

We took a hike up to an Indian ruin, and proceeded to have a snowball fight!
Picture 136

The next day after even more snow, we did a bit of sledding:
Picture 161

The drive out was fun, but no problem for the suby.
Picture 166