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Movie: Shallow Hal (2001)
No surprise, this isn’t a great movie, but it managed to beat my expectations of it. Here there, admidst drowning in its own clichés, it manages to hit on some of the damage done by our cultural definition of beauty. A couple of the more symbolic absurdities are funny. Some good acting by Gwyneth Paltrow…
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Edward’s Crack
This climb is so popular that we shunned it all last year rather than wait in line to climb it. Today we are there early, but still not the first. We decide to wait for it this time, and get ready at our leisure. It’s worth it. Edward’s, 5.7, is a beautiful hand crack. We…
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First campsite of the year
In years past the first night of the year outside has always been a bit of a shakedown, even if it’s just car camping. This time it all falls into place, and we casually make it to Vedauwoo just about sundown after work, and set up the tent at one of the new tent sites…
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Green and gold
A sign of the beginning of the growing season. Maybe that’s why Colorado State University (originally an agriculture school) chose green and gold as their colors. And the University of Wyoming chose brown and gold…?
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Pelicans!
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos. I can’t quite make out what the duck is. Heron Lake was teeming with birds this morning. I may have to get up early one of these days and try for some real pictures. You can almost tell from the duck how huge these pelicans are, but I’d love to get some closer…
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Movie: Empire Falls (2005 TV)
I think from here on I’m going to read the book or watch the movie, not both. This TV miniseries production of Richard Russo’s book is done well, but having read it already I just couldn’t enjoy it fully.
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Greyrock climbing outing
Sadly, Ann is down with the stomach funk today, so Sean and I leave for Greyrock at 8 am without her. The parking lot is already nearly full at 9, and the day is clear and warm. Excited, we lug our gear quickly up the 3.3-mile, 1,500-ft approach to the South Slabs. Last time I…
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Rotary Park Bouldering
Sean was introduced to bouldering today after riding his bike up to Rotary Park to meet me. “I’ll never ever do that again,” he said of the ride. These hills are some of the steepest little buggers in the area. We spent most of our time on The Eliminator boulder (I think), working some of…
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Rotary Park Bouldering
For the first time this year I headed up to Rotary Park by Horsetooth Reservoir after work for some real bouldering. It felt like it had been a very long time, but slowly the feeling of my hands on the rock, the sun on my back, and the changing sky reminded that climbing is almost…
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Mammatus Clouds?
Not as dramatic as some of the pictures I’ve seen of Mammatus Clouds, but still made for a more interesting commute this morning. Combined with temperatures in the 40’s, the morning had a very “tail-end of winter” sort of feel.