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Objects in rear view mirror are closer than they appear…

Remember saturday’s close call? Well… I almost managed to kill myself today at work.

While climbing a metal structure for getting up to my client’s house roof, my face and head touched the brand new electrical fence that my client installed a few months ago and that she didn’t informed me of its existence

Fortunately, it was switched off I can imagine myself popping out of the metal structure, fried like popcorn…

I got my big scare for not paying attention in the possible new features of “old & known” client’s installations…

After a warm up visit to Espacio Escultórico, we did a grand bouldering circuit and most of the usual hard problems were sent on the first try. I almost send a long time problem that I haven’t seen anybody able to manage, some small cave with long reach, monofinger and contorsion moves. Maybe next time…

Overall, the training evening was really nice, we even got some rain over our heads!

Today rained a bit and the road was very slippery. When we arrived to the place where we park the car at the road’s side, there were a lot of cars parked in the middle of the road and everybody was out of their cars. It seemed like an accident…

A car slipped away from the road and fell into the ravine just 2 minutes before we arrived. The car tumbled over the same place were we always park. If we had arrived a bit earlier maybe I wouldn’t be telling this story. Inside the car were a couple, so we hiked down the ravine to get them out of the car. The police arrived and also an ambulance. The car was totally smashed. Fortunately, they weren’t too hurt. The woman got a punch in her head and the man got some scratches, but they were consious. We promise to never park in there.

We didn’t even touch the boulders since we had to quickly return to my home. Aunt Yola would meet us there to give us her wedding’s (shall I say requiem’s?) invitations. What’s more intimidating? A car crash or a good friend getting married?

Originally posted and stolen from: lawaloca.com

The place was crowded with moms and kids. Toche got a lot of presents (mostly Barbie dolls) and was very happy with the party in general. I promised to take her to the movies to see whatever movie she wanted as a birthday present, she chose Star Wars. Excellent choice! I guess that the present will be for both…

Cova, Mau, Beto and I spent last night climbing in Bernal. We climbed the monolith from 1 to 6 a.m., enjoying a beautiful night of almost full moon

Beto and I took the lead by blocks, that way we could climb faster without the need to switch ropes since the followers were simul-climbing. Cova was with Mau for aiding him with the rope management. It was Mau’s first climb of the mountain and of a multi-pitch route. He did an excellent job and was fascinated by the adventure and commitment of the climb

I brought to the climb our last invention: the devil’s hat. Beto and I managed to paste a pair of small speakers to my climbing helmet. That way we could share music while simul-climbing or hanging at the belays. The music player was full of Jimi Hendrix music, so you can get the picture of our nocturnal climb…

jimi hendrix – voodoo child (slight return)

well, i stand up next to a mountain
and i chop it down with the edge of my hand

yeah

well, i stand up next to a mountain
and i chop it down with the edge of my hand
well, i pick up all the pieces and make an island
might even raise a little sand

yeah

’cause i’m a voodoo child
lord knows i’m a voodoo child baby
i want to say one more last thing
i didn’t mean to take up all your sweet time
i’ll give it right back to ya one of these days

hahaha

i said i didn’t mean to take up all your sweet time
i’ll give it right back one of these days

oh yeah

if i don’t meet you no more in this world then uh
i’ll meet ya on the next one
and don’t be late
don’t be late

’cause i’m a voodoo child voodoo child
lord knows i’m a voodoo child

hey hey hey

i’m a voodoo child baby
i don’t take no for an answer

question no
yeah

I still remember the day I saw Episode IV: A New Hope for the first time in my life. I was a little boy and I was with my cousins. We really enjoyed the movie, even though we didn’t fully understood the story. I can remember that after watching it, we began playing to Star Wars for a long time. Each one of us always liked some character from the movie. I always wanted to play as Luke Skywalker

Then came Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. I still loved the movies and got a better understanding of the story.

Many years later, Episode I: The Phantom Menace came out and most of the Star Wars fans doubted it would be a hit. The truth is that it was just the beginning of what would be an excellent prequel trilogy.

Not a long time ago, since Episode II: Attack of the Clones was in the theaters I started to get interested in Anakin Skywalker‘s character, more than what I was with Luke. The way he got into the Dark Side of The Force and became Darth Vader really intrigued me. Besides (in my opinion), he was a much more talented Jedi than Luke

Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is finally here, I watched it last night. It was shocking. George Lucas brilliantly managed to join both trilogies, tying every thread of the story into a magnificent trama. My most sincere admiration to George Lucas, he’s a great storyteller

If once I thought that Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back could be the story’s climax, then Episode III: Revenge of the Sith could be a fine candidate for re-thinking that hypothesis.

I’m a bit sad because this saga got to it’s end. After many years of having so many questions open, I finally got the answers to everything. Definitely, Star Wars became a part of our modern lifes.

Shall I say that we’re getting solid at 5.12 bouldering? Are we simply getting used to the boulder problems in this zone? I don’t know the real answer, all I can say is that good friendships and beautiful landscapes are an excellent combination and that’s making us stronger day after day…

I think back to 1968, my first trip to Patagonia. After making base camp at Fitzroy in November, four friends and I spent the next two months waiting – 31 of those days in ice caves. We told a lot of stories waiting out the incessant storms…

I’ve always chosen my climbing partners carefully, but in that two-month wait at Fitzroy, I learned that someone’s value to an expedition could largely be determined by their storytelling skills. Lingering on the details of distant events, describing and interpreting the natural setting, waiting as long as possible before saying the obvious – these skills are not frivolous. They delay the onset of the insanity. They help stave off boredom. And boredom is what causes climbers to move on, to start climbing when it simply doesn’t make sense to do so. Imagine that: storytelling to save lives.

- Yvon Chouinard, from the introduction

Beto found this excellent book at a bookstore in Coyoacán. I still can’t believe it’s price: $60 pesos! I immediately ran for a copy…

A Supermarket Far, Far Away (May 10, 2005) — The Organic Trade Association (OTA) and Free Range Studios today launched a sci-fi supermarket saga, Store Wars: The Organic Rebellion (www.storewars.org), on the Internet. The five-minute movie features Cuke Skywalker, Princess Lettuce, Chewbroccoli and other organic rebels -played by real vegetables dressed as Star Wars characters- battling it out with Darth Tader, the evil lord of the Dark Side of the Farm.

The release of Store Wars is timed to ride on the frenzied anticipation of Star Wars fans for the May 19 debut of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

Store Wars is the latest outreach effort of OTA to educate consumers about the many benefits of organic products. By spoofing a pop culture phenomenon like Star Wars, OTA hopes to attract a new generation of organic consumers, especially “Gen Xers” who grew up loving Luke, Leia and Han, and are now increasingly concerned about making healthy food choices for their families.

“If you think about it, a battle is currently being waged over food in America, and the direction agriculture will take in the future. We’re asking in a light-hearted way for people to think about the choices they make at the grocery store”, said Katherine DiMatteo, executive director of the Organic Trade Association.

Store Wars is the brainchild of Free Range Studios, makers of the 2003 smash hit The Meatrix (www.themeatrix.com), an online movie seen by more than 10 million viewers, translated into four languages and honored at the Webbys, Sundance, South by Southwest and a dozen other prestigious festivals and contests.

- from Store Wars Press Release

Thanks to: lawaloca.com for posting the link.