Aaron's Status

12:26 pm

I’ve been working on this V5 problem on and off for two or three sessions now. I alternate between bouldering and topline so I didn’t spend like an entire session on it, but I have probably done around 10 attempts.

Today on my second or third attempt, I got it. I do appreciate the feeling of gradually “locking in” each segment of the sequence until it feels right. This is a pretty hard one, but I guess soft enough that I could make the leap from V4 to V5.

My strength on the boulders seems like it’s in a good place, my ability to grab a smaller hold, etc., but my endurance is still kinda garbage. Getting up on some 5.11 toplines, I was not pumped, but my hand strength was just totally exhausted after only a few attempts. This is what I think I need to work on the most.

I did also sent a 5.11 arete climb that I had tried and failed previously, and then failed out on a pink 5.11 that I think I can send fresh next time. I also failed on an orange 5.11 that I had tried a couple times; I got further this time but I think I need to train harder to get it.

I ran into a few climbing friends and we all traded belays, which was really fun. It’s nice when people want to project stuff and we can have a rotation going. It forces me to rest longer, too.

It might be time once again to try to add some hangboard into my training routine, because I don’t feel like my back can do three sessions a week quite yet (writing this as I lay on an ice pack), but I need to build up more finger endurance.

7:34 am

Haunted Happenings

We were successful in our plan to park a couple towns away from Salem and ride the commuter rail in. We went a bit earlier than I originally planned and the train was sparsely filled and no conductor even checked our tickets.

This is a great strategy generally: parking downtown in Salem in October is going to run you $50 for the day, if you can even find any. Parking at the train station is $5 a day in the lot connected to the platform, and the tickets ran $20 for all three round-trip.

Driving in Salem is an absolute fool’s errand. The number of people flowing through the streets and police directing intersections, etc., is just absurd. Trying to circle for parking under these conditions is a huge commitment and you might end up parked far from where you want to be.

The Salem commuter rail station is (as most stations) right in the middle where you want it to be. Only a block or two from any of the Haunted Happenings attractions. I recommend this approach!

Still, holy hell, was it crowded. When we went last time, it was the same date, but it was a weekday. I think in the future we’ll have to take time off and go on a weekday, it’s just too crazy on the weekend. If you’re really into it and not dragging a 7-year-old around, maybe it would be a different vibe, but for us it was pretty anxiety-inducing.

The Salem Haunted Magic Show was good, but because it was all focused around “mentalism” it was perhaps a bit slow or hard to understand for the kiddo. The show was well put-together, though.

We did return to the International Monster Museum, and I thought for sure this time the kid would be ready for what lay within. Especially since it really doesn’t change much year to year. Well, I was wrong. Five steps into the place, the warewolves pop out of the walls and he lost it and had to leave. I went through the rest by myself, which was uneventful.

At this point, we felt pretty tapped out. While we were in the magic show another three billion people showed up and it was getting hard to just walk down the street, so we decided to buy a $7 slice of pizza and then bail. Getting out was basically fine, my car wasn’t stolen, traffic sucked (as per usual in Boston), done and done.

Boston Lights

After a somewhat brief siesta at home, off we went to the Franklin Park Zoo for “Boston Lights: A Lantern Experience,” which everyone just calls “zoo lights.” Because that’s what it is.

Another over-committed event with scarce parking and two billion kids running around, but it was (as usual) really impressive. Probably hundreds of inner-lit “lantern” sculptures with themes ranging from aquatic animals to the Chinese zodiac and giant butterflies.

We walked around in there from some time before 7 until around 8:30. We were meeting friends who came in through another entrance, and the whole thing is set up as a one-way loop, so we actually had to do it 1.5 times or more in the end to get in, find them, see the whole thing, and then get back to the entrance we came in.

I took some photos, which I hope came out in focus at least though I’m not really excited about them as art. I haven’t looked at them yet.

Slings again

Before leaving for Salem I packed up the Peak Design Everyday Sling 3L and was just about ready to go when I realized I should probably bring some ibuprofen (or “Vitamin I” as we call it) and a travel tissue for my runny nose, and there was just no way that was all going to fit.

So once again I unpacked the thing and put everything into the 6L sling. “So much room for activities!” I carried that with me all day and I think it worked out really well. It’s easier to get the camera in and out of it, my glasses fit better, and it can hold the extra few things I want to carry.

Salem started out cool and later got hot, so I was also able to shed my fleece, roll it up, and use the included straps to attach it to the bottom of the sling, which worked flawlessly. Overall I’m happy with it, and I think I’ll actually return the 3L after all.

Sunday doings

Today is an outdoor climbing day for the wife, so I’m on full-time Dad Duty until this afternoon. Kiddo’s got his climbing class, though, so we’ll get over to the gym and I’ll get an hour of projecting in. I’m still working on that one 5.11 that has been vexing me.

After the gym we’ll need to eat some lunch, and then I suggested a bike ride on the rail trail, so maybe we’ll do that. That should probably keep us busy enough, and it should be a nice enough day for it!

These statuses have become novels.