I will survive

My fan club

I don't need no damn rope

At the TOP!
This last weekend Denise and I went to REI to browse and see just what Denise could buy with the gift cards she received for her Birthday. I think all in all, it totaled about $350.00, which can go very quickly at that store. At the store they have a climbing wall in the corner. I am curious about rock climbing, and a part of me thinks I would really love it, but another part is scared of plummeting off a cliff. Anyway, I was sort of meandering around the wall and checking it out, when a salesperson asked me if I wanted to climb. I was a bit nervous (and also thought I had to pay), so I said "No, that's alright." Denise said, "Yes, she does." Then I said, "No, that's ok." Then she said, "Come on, you know you want to." Then I said, "Ummm...let's do it!" I put on the harness, some official climbing shoes, and stepped onto the wall. The moment I grabbed onto the pegs, I realized that this was going to be much harder than it seemed.

As I have heard in the past, rock climbing is much more about your legs than arms. Your legs are what propel you up, while your arms are more for balance and grip. I made it so far up the wall, but due to my short stature and tight denim jeans, I could not get my left leg up high enough to boost myself up to the next level. I tried and tried to no avail, and my arms were shaking so bad that I was about to let go and find a cute jacket instead. However, I looked down to see that I had amassed a little fan club (the pics above are ones Denise took with my cell phone) that had surrounded Denise. One kid yelled out, "You can do it!" How could I stop after that? I could not be the one to show small impressionable children that when life gets tough, you give up.

Finally, my arms just gave out, and I swung a bit around to the side of the wall. I latched on to another peg, and notice that this portion had steps much more my size. I was determined to make it up. I let my arms rest for a minute, and then I started my ascent. I pushed myself up with each crevice until I reached the top. I rang the bell triumphantly and the children cheered. I felt like I had been the protagonist in a children's story about never giving up and the power of perseverance. I felt accomplished. :)

When I got off that rock, I could tell immediately that my arms were not once what they used to be. I could barely unbuckle the clasp that kept my harness on. Lifting my arms above my waste was an effort. The next few days were pretty painful, and all from a 10 minute climb to the stop of this wall. I can't imagine how much climbing an actual rock face would kick my ass, but a part of me wants to find out.

That night we went to Cathleen and Rhonda's cheap wine tasting party. The rule was that you had to bring a bottle of wine that you paid $8.00 or less for (so on sale items counted). It was placed in a paper bag, lettered, and sorted into one of three categories: light, medium, or bold. Each person was then given a lettered score sheet, and you went to each table tasting the various anonymous wines. In the end, I think there were about 30 bottles to taste. It was SO much fun as always. As has been discussed several times by our group of friends, this party is so great because everyone is drinking the same amount of alcohol as everyone else, so you all get tipsy right around the same time. After the wine tasting is done, the votes are tallied, and the top three wines are revealed. Denise was determined to win this year, but alas, it did not happen. Maybe next year my love.

After the ceremonies, two lovely ladies did fire dancing in the back alley which was amazing. I did find myself wondering though what the neighbors were thinking, and what I would do if I looked out the window to see fire flying around behind my house. Then I realized we were in Venice, and I'm sure they have seen many strange things going on behind their houses, so fire dancing is just another occurrence to add to their list.

After the party we met up with a friend at a local bar, lets just say more drunken debauchery, Denise peeing in a doorway, and off key singing all the way home ended the evening.

The next day was TORI AMOS, but I think that definitely warrents its' own post.

One final note, the finale of Tila Tequilla was last night, and surprise, surprise, she picked Bobby instead of Dani. Denise and I predicted this almost from the beginning of the episode based on body language and the affection she showed Bobby, but it was still disappointing none the less. On the one hand, I realize that it was just a dumb realiy show, and did break some barriers since the final girl was a type of lesbian that is not represented on mainstream television that often (and a type Tila herself didn't even know she could care for), but it was still the same ol disappointment of the lesbian never winning. I can't help but think that despite the few strides this show made for the lesbians, the final message was still the sterotypical idea that when bisexual women are faced with the choice of a man and a woman, the man will win because she truly wants "the penis." Ugh... I'm sick of that. Again, I'm not by any means saying this is true and I know many bisexual woman end up with women, but the mainstream media does not represent those women, and this reality show could have been a way to prove that a woman can capture another woman's heart just as well as a man can. But alas, twas not to be. Maybe the next show will redeem us because, that's right folks, "A shot at love 2" is in the works. It will not be with Tila, but with some other fiesty bi-sexual model. Still, I really think that lesbians can't look to television to validate our relationships, we just have to continue to do it the way we always have, by just living our life in open, loving relationships. Carry on my people. :)